The nature of children's embodied experiences in early childhood education: Teachers' perspectives

Abstract

Children are embodied beings living in an ever-changing world. This study was inspired by a desire to provide the best education and care for young children. This qualitative educational research aimed to gain insights into the nature of children's embodied experiences through teachers' perspectives. This study confirmed the crucial role of embodied experiences in children's early years, and found that the body is an inseparable part of a child's holistic being. Embodied experiences are the lifeblood and source of all actions and interactions in early childhood settings. The early childhood teachers interviewed in this study devoted themselves to understanding, guiding, and empowering children's embodied journeys in life. In early childhood settings, teachers are the main providers, responding to children's interests and needs to foster their learning and development. Teachers have a moral obligation to care for and nurture children's physical and emotional well-being and development of a sense of self. Teachers saw embodied experiences as the natural way for children to make sense of themselves, others, and the world around them. This study aimed to recommend a valid path to providing quality embodied experiences in early childhood education. Fostering children's embodied experiences helps them achieve happiness in their early years. Children have limitless potential and wisdom in their bodies. This study recommends seeing children as empowered physical explorers instead of just being the receivers of structural teaching and learning, and understanding children's embodied experiences rather than disciplining the body. This study found that teachers recognised the fostering of embodied experiences in early childhood settings as a meaningful, complex, and problematic process. The findings reinforce the need for teachers to remain confident in providing embodied education for young children. Embodied teaching is a valid, rational path to quality early childhood education.