LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PSYCHOMOTRICITY AMONG PRESCHOOL TEACHERS: A STUDY IN A CITY IN SOUTHERN MINAS GERAIS

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Early childhood is essential for motor development, as the skills acquired during this stage influence an individual's entire life. In Brazil, however, there is no legal requirement for the presence of Physical Education professionals in early childhood education, nor is there a specific curriculum component on psychomotricity in the BNCC (National Common Curricular Base). This study aimed to identify the educational background and knowledge of early childhood teachers in Lavras-MG regarding psychomotricity. The research, with a quanti-qualitative approach, was conducted with 225 teachers from 29 schools through a semi-structured questionnaire. Results show that 87.1% of the participants had subjects related to psychomotricity during their training, and 95.6% carry out psychomotor activities with their students. Nevertheless, only 49.8% reported the presence of a Physical Education teacher in their institutions. Most teachers recognize the importance of this professional, with 90% rating their relevance as 10. The main difficulties reported were the lack of materials, inadequate spaces, and children’s lack of attention. It is concluded that, although psychomotricity is valued, it is still treated as a complementary activity and remains, in most cases, the responsibility of generalist teachers.