Recognizing The Importance of Physical Activity and Cultivating Body Posture Among Israeli-Arab Kindergarten Teachers

Abstract

Of the population in Israel, approximately 80% is Jewish and approximately 20% is Arab. In the first years following the establishment of the State of Israel, education in the Arab sector suffered from discrimination and neglect, and it appears that programs to reduce the gaps have only been introduced in recent years i.e., since 2007. The aim of the present study is to examine, in the Arab sector, kindergarten teachers’ level of awareness of the overall importance of physical activity and its importance for cultivating correct posture. To this end, a qualitative study – interviews and category analysis – of eight Israeli-Arab kindergarten teachers was conducted. The study’s findings and conclusions are that the kindergarten teachers who participated in the study had high awareness of the importance of physical activity, which should be maintained. However, their awareness of the importance of physical activity in kindergarteners for the cultivation of correct posture is very low, and there are a variety of ways to enrich them in this area.