背景:幼儿教育者在促进儿童保育中心的体育锻炼和减少久坐时间方面发挥着关键作用。然而,早期儿童教育者获得的与这些行为相关的专业职前和在职学习机会有限,可能缺乏有效让儿童参与健康运动行为的能力。这项研究旨在研究电子学习课程对增加幼儿教育者的身体活动和久坐行为相关能力的功效。
方法:在加拿大的早期儿童教育者中进行了一项两组平行随机对照试验(Mage=41.78,97%为女性)。随机分配到干预组的参与者被要求在4周内完成身体活动和久坐行为电子学习课程。随机分配到候补名单对照条件的参与者在测试期后被分配到候补名单以接受干预。参与者报告了他们的自我效能感,知识,意图,以及与基线时身体活动和久坐行为相关的感知行为控制,干预后,并随访3个月。估计线性混合效应模型以确定从基线到干预后结果变化的差异。和后续行动。
结果:共有209名幼儿教育者参与了这项研究(干预n=98;对照组n=111)。发现TEACH电子学习课程在改善所有检查结果方面是有效的,自我效能感结果的标准化效应大小从d=0.58到d=0.65,对于知识成果,d=0.66至d=1.20,意向结果的d=0.50至d=0.65,干预后感知的行为控制结果为d=0.33至d=0.69。除了感知到的行为控制以限制屏幕时间外,所有结果的干预效果在随访中都得到了维持。此外,对知识成果的影响程度在后续行动中有所下降,标准化效应大小范围从d=0.49到d=0.67。
结论:e-Learning课程在提高幼儿教育者与身体活动和久坐行为有关的能力方面非常成功。通过电子学习提供培训内容可能是一种有效的方法,可以为幼儿教育者提供与体育活动和久坐时间相关的持续专业学习机会。
BACKGROUND: Early childhood educators play a critical role in promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary time in childcare centres. However, early childhood educators receive limited specialised pre- and in-service learning opportunities relating to these behaviours and may lack the capacity to effectively engage children in healthy movement behaviours. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of an e-Learning course on increasing early childhood educators\' physical activity and sedentary behaviour-related capacities.
METHODS: A two-group parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted with early childhood educators in Canada (Mage = 41.78, 97% female). Participants randomized to the intervention group were asked to complete a physical activity and sedentary behaviour e-Learning course within a 4-week period. Participants randomized to the waitlist control condition were assigned to a waitlist to receive the intervention after the testing period. Participants reported on their self-efficacy, knowledge, intentions, and perceived behavioural control relating to physical activity and sedentary behaviours at baseline, post-intervention, and 3 months follow-up. Linear mixed effects models were estimated to determine difference in changes in outcomes from baseline to post-intervention, and follow-up.
RESULTS: A total of 209 early childhood educators participated in the study (intervention n = 98; control n = 111). The TEACH e-Learning course was found to be efficacious at improving all of the examined outcomes, with standardized effect sizes ranging from d = 0.58 to d = 0.65 for self-efficacy outcomes, d = 0.66 to d = 1.20 for knowledge outcomes, d = 0.50 to d = 0.65 for intention outcomes, and d = 0.33 to d = 0.69 for perceived behavioural control outcomes post-intervention. The intervention effects were sustained at follow-up for all outcomes apart from perceived behavioural control to limit screen time. Additionally, the magnitude of the effect for knowledge outcomes decreased at follow-up, with standardized effect sizes ranging from d = 0.49 to d = 0.67.
CONCLUSIONS: The e-Learning course was highly successful at improving early childhood educators\' capacity pertaining to physical activity and sedentary behaviours. Providing training content through e-Learning may be an efficacious approach to providing continual professional learning opportunities relating to physical activity and sedentary time to early childhood educators on a large scale.