Evaluating the Outdoor Play & Learning for Pre-schools Underneath the Covid -19 Restraints

Abstract

This study is about out-door play under the covid-19 restrictions, using Go NAPSACC assessment for outdoor play. Self-Assessments help teachers in the preschools providers and compare their practices to best-practice standards based on the most current research. Go NAPSACC’s best-practice standards for preschool programs can help children up to age 5 develop healthy habits for eating, physical activity, and oral health. The Go NAPSACC self-assessment is the beginning toward change. The researcher distribute the questioner for 40 schools, 27 governmental schools plus 27 teachers, and 13 international schools plus 13 teachers. The assessment is divided into four categories:

Outdoor Playtime

Outdoor Play Environment

Education & Professional Development

Policy

To assess the schools environment under the Covid-19 restrictions, when the covid-19 hit the word. Qatar was effected as part of this world, the ministry of education and higher education stated and required the closure of the physical education classes and the outdoor play from 2020 to 2021 then came back at 2022.

According to the new system, students must attend from one to three times a week to the school building, while maintaining an attendance rate of about 30% of the total number of students in the school per day, in order to attend some basic subject classes, conduct practical experiments in laboratories and take tests. (Gulf,2020)

The teachers of the education practiced and experienced difficulties in distance education allowed teachers to develop subject competencies and improve their capability to use ICT in the school environment.( Rasa et al;2022)

The research found that through the pandemic, the cognitive and motor development skills of children at age five suffered the most followed by their learning experiences. Stay-at-home measures also led to a harsh reduction in physical activity, which may explain the underdevelopment in motor skills. (SRCD,2022)

Qatar will begin a gradual lifting of restrictions imposed due to the spread of the Corona virus in all public and private schools in the country. The Qatari Ministry of Education announced in a statement, that "in light of the health indicators of the Corona pandemic (Covid-19), and in the interest of the ministry for the interest of students and their academic future, it has been decided to return to normal school hours as of tomorrow, with the possibility of including the school schedule for recess and physical education class for the first time since the Corona pandemic’’. (Roya News,22)

Keywords: Outdoor Play & Learning, Physical health, Physical Education, Parents, Pedagogy.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-4-01

Publication date: February 28^th 2023