Physical activity as an educational dimension in the contemporary pre-school curricula in the world and in Serbia

Abstract

© JPES. The functioning of every educational institution is determined by the curriculum whose orientation shapes the aims, content, strategies and procedures of accomplishing the process of education in a special way. One of the aspects of the development that occupies a significant place in the pre-school curriculum is physical education and its activities. As the organization of physical activities is different in educational institutions for pre-school children in Serbia and abroad, the paper offers an analysis of physical activities in the curricula of the pre-school institutions in Canada, the USA, Montenegro and Serbia. The comparative analysis of the selected curricula leads to a conclusion that the organization of physical activities of children in our pre-school institutions needs to be innovated in some ways. In order to achieve a better quality of the organization of physical activities of pre-school children it is necessary to innovate and strengthen the pre-school curriculum of the Republic of Serbia in the following aspects: motivation and development of competences of pre-school teachers in charge of children’s physical activities; organization of activities adapted to the child’s individual and current competences and abilities; development of children’s cognitive knowledge with respect to physical activities, as well as the significance of physical activities for the development and health of the body; and most importantly, children’s success in the activities that they perform.