Movement Method – Learning Through Movement In The Classroom
Below is an excerpt of a Masters thesis done in Germany about Movement Method’s results in a primary school. Please find at the end of the post downloads, both of the original work in German, as well as a translation to English.
1 Introduction
1.1 General background of this work
The focus of this work is on learning in motion in the everyday school life of the pupils at the Mammutschule in Ahlen. The aim of the master’s thesis is to examine in a theoretical part and an analysis to what extent movement has an influence on learning and what changes have been determined by the introduction of the movement method in relation to learning in movement.
The learning and living conditions of school children have changed significantly in recent years due to urbanization, digitization, densification of residential areas, asphalting of open spaces, play bans, an increase in sedentary leisure activities as well as physical inactivity diseases and the increased use of school after programs and all-day school (see Hundeloh, Kottmann & Pack, 2015, p. 10). Exercise is less important in the lives of children and young people, so that they live in an increasingly restricted world. This development illustrates the urgent need to integrate exercise into their everyday life and thus, above all, into everyday school life by meeting the natural need for exercise and creating opportunities for exercise. In this way, a sedentary lifestyle can be prevented, lack of movement in the areas of motor skills and body awareness can be remedied and the pupils’ urge to move can be given freedom (cf. Oppolzer, 2015, p. 9). In addition, they should be taught lifelong exercise in order to prepare and sensitize them for a healthy life.
Movement is also of considerable importance for learning because it promotes the psychomotor, cognitive and emotional-social development of children and young people (see Müller & Petzold, 2014, p. 26). In addition, the positive connection between physical activity and cognitive learning processes shows that the holistic view of the child and the consideration of their respective need for movement enrich everyday teaching and school life (cf. Donnelly, JE, Hillman, CH; Castelli, D., Ethnier , JL; Lee, S .; Tomporowski, P .; Lambourne, K. & Szabo-Reed, 2017).
8 Conclusion and Outlook
The results of the present study show that learning in motion is an extremely individual need of every student and that the Movement Method has proven to be a successful example for the practical implementation of learning in motion.
The eleven guidelines of the Movement Method are part of the concept, but not decisive for its success. They merely represent the general pedagogical action required by educators and teachers in everyday teaching. Accordingly, the key to the movement method and successful learning lies in movement and therefore not in guidelines. Because through movement, the focus is on the individual need and therefore on the learning processes of the students. On the basis of this, through content-related, methodological, didactic, social and organizational arrangements, an environment that is geared towards them and conducive to learning can be created for the students. The aim of the teacher should be to appreciate movement, to initiate it and not to perceive it as disturbing and stressful. Since one of the tasks of the school is to promote the holistic development of the pupils, the different (movement) elements of the Movement Method show clues for the practical implementation of learning in movement.
Although in the last few years more and more attempts have been made to close the technical gap with regard to active teaching, there are still today no experiences and knowledge of the implementation in everyday lessons. This study shows that the Movement Method at the Mammutschule accords great importance to the pupils ‘need for physical activity and that this improves the learning and working atmosphere, independent learning and the pupils’ performance potential. The individual components of the Movement Method for individual learning can be implemented both in the classroom and on the school premises. In addition, it is important to close the scientific gap in the practical implementation of learning in motion in the coming years and to create and disseminate successful (school) concepts in this context. Accordingly, it should be an important concern to provide both prospective and practicing teachers with appropriate qualification and advanced training opportunities. In particular, the exchange of experiences and implementation options can significantly contribute to the success of learning in motion.
Thesis translated to English
Original in German
It was/is a great result and first time at German school Programm , thank to the Mammut school and Leonie here to do this