European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 2014
This article explores the links between neuroscience research, movement, and neurological dysfunc... more This article explores the links between neuroscience research, movement, and neurological dysfunction in relation to young children's learning and development. While policymakers have recognised the importance of early development the role of movement has been overlooked. A small scale study was undertaken in four early years settings in a London Borough in order to investigate whether an intervention resulted in improved movement experiences for children. This is the first study to assess the quality of movement-play using a newly developed measuring scale. Results showed that an intervention does result in improved movement experiences for young children. Consistently enhanced results were found in relation to the vital role of the adult at the two intervention settings. For Vygotsky the adult role is critical to the quality of play and learning for the child (Siraj-Blatchford 2009). There is scope for a larger scale piece of research spread across different sectors in order to further test the validity and reliability of the scale.
Evaluating the Results of the Implementation of an Exercise Program on the Physical Condition for Learners of a Multicultural Second Chance School
International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences
The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of an organized exercise program based on selec... more The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of an organized exercise program based on selected fitness indicators on adult learners in a multicultural environment of a Second Chance School (SCS). 62 learners from the SCS of Komotini (19-57 years) participated in the study, where they were equally divided into two groups (experimental, control). The intervention program was implemented for 5 months (2 times/week) with an intensity of 65%-85% of the HRmax. Each exercise session lasted 60 minutes and included aerobic exercise and muscular strengthening. Measurements were performed at the beginning and end of the intervention, and "ALPHA-FIT Test Battery for Adults Aged 18-69" tests were used, as well as the "Sit-Ups in 30 sec" and "Sit and Reach" tests. For statistical processing of the data, descriptive statistics, analyses of variance ANOVA and T-Tests were used using the SPSS program. The analysis of the data showed that a statistically significant major influence of the measurement factor (p<.001) in all tests between the two groups (experimental, control) was observed in fitness indicators. Gender differences were found, with men performing better in dynamic tests than women, and women performing better in flexibility than men. In conclusion, the intervention program has significantly improved the Physical Condition of learners in the multicultural SCS of Komotini. Finally, further research is proposed with interventions of exercise programs in more than one SCS to examine the degree of participation and any positive changes that will occur in the fitness in a larger sample.
Investigation of atypical developmental coordination disorder, physical activity and body mass index in children Roma and non-Roma aged 10-12 years: A preliminary study
Comparing quality of childcare and kindergarten centres: the need for a strong and equal partnership in the Greek early childhood education system
Early Child Development and Care, 2015
The purpose of this study was to examine whether kindergartens and childcare centres differ in te... more The purpose of this study was to examine whether kindergartens and childcare centres differ in terms of educational and caregiving components. More specifically, two aspects of the process quality of the early childhood education and care were examined regarding the ‘Activities’ and the ‘Programme Structure’. A multi-stage sampling technique was applied to recruit a national representative sample from the Greek early childhood education system. A total of 535 early childhood classrooms from kindergarten and childcare programmes participated in the study, together with 4158 children. The quality of the participating classrooms was evaluated with the use of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) edition. Results showed a medium-quality picture from both the kindergarten and childcare classrooms. Explanations are provided regarding the statistically significant differences between the two types of preschool programmes. This study attempts to initiate a discussion about the need to build a strong and equal partnership between kindergarten and childcare programmes and to move towards a more coherent approach in the Greek early childhood education system.
Emotional relationships are crucial for an accurate prediction and control of the impact of emoti... more Emotional relationships are crucial for an accurate prediction and control of the impact of emotions on athletic performance. The Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF) model attempts to describe and explain emotions related to individually successful and poor performances (Hanin, 1997, 2000). The participants were 617 Greek athletes (424 males and 190 females) from five different sports. Their ages ranged from 18 to 30 years (M=24.30, SD=3.70). All athletes completed the questionnaire on emotions (IZOF, Hanin, 2000), which was translated into Greek (Hanin, Papaioannou & Lukkarila, 2001). The aim of the study was the examination of a possible relationship between emotions and confidence and among different competitive sports in Greece. The results supported the good psychometric properties of the assessment tool. Additionally, the results indicated statistically significant differences among sports in almost all the questionnaire variables: (a) in optimal-pleasant emotions swimmers had higher scores than Graeco-Roman and freestyle wrestlers, (b) in optimal-unpleasant emotions swimmers had higher scores than taekwondoists and water polo players, and (c) in dysfunctional-unpleasant emotions swimmers had lower scores than taekwondoists and water polo players. On the other hand, in dysfunctional-pleasant emotions and in confidence no statistically significant differences among the sports were found. According to previous research, it is also important to indicate that emotional content and intensity are different in training practice and competitions and that they vary across the pre-, mid-, and post-event performance situations (Hanin & Stambulova, 2002). Possible future research might replicate and extend the study's findings, explore an athlete's anxiety, goal-orientations, motivation and performance, and develop effective intervention strategies.
Background: The Greek bibliography does not provide researchers with a credible measurement instr... more Background: The Greek bibliography does not provide researchers with a credible measurement instrument that can estimate satisfaction as a multi-dimensional concept, in the frame of a physical education lesson. Objective: The main aim of this study was to cross-validate the Greek version of the Physical Activity Class Satisfaction Questionnaire (PACSQ) in a Greek educational context. The internal consistency of the PACSQ was also examined as well as the levels of satisfaction, gender, and grade of studies as factors that differentiate lesson satisfaction from lesson attendance. Methods: A total of 459 elementary school students (220 boys and 239 girls) aged between 11 and 12 years, across the country joined in the study. The Greek version of PACSQ was used. The statistical analysis included descriptive analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis and discriminant and convergent validity, and one-way multivariate analysis of variance. Results: The results of the confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the hypothesized model produced a significant χ 2 (3311.55), normed fit index (.95) and comparative fit index (.96). The root mean square error of approximation (.62) was also considered to assess the degree of fit of the model. Composite reliability (≥ .879) and variance extracted (≥ .586) of all dimensions of the PACSQ demonstrated an acceptable reliability coefficient. Conclusions: From the analysis of the results, we came to the following conclusions. The PACSQ constitutes an instrument credible enough to measure the satisfaction of elementary school male and female students. Students seem to be quite satisfied by the cognitive process. Gender is a differentiation factor only as far as Normative Success is concerned. Students in the 6 th grade (12 years old) appear to be more satisfied by their participatiοn in a physical education lesson.
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 2014
This article explores the links between neuroscience research, movement, and neurological dysfunc... more This article explores the links between neuroscience research, movement, and neurological dysfunction in relation to young children's learning and development. While policymakers have recognised the importance of early development the role of movement has been overlooked. A small scale study was undertaken in four early years settings in a London Borough in order to investigate whether an intervention resulted in improved movement experiences for children. This is the first study to assess the quality of movement-play using a newly developed measuring scale. Results showed that an intervention does result in improved movement experiences for young children. Consistently enhanced results were found in relation to the vital role of the adult at the two intervention settings. For Vygotsky the adult role is critical to the quality of play and learning for the child (Siraj-Blatchford 2009). There is scope for a larger scale piece of research spread across different sectors in order to further test the validity and reliability of the scale.
Evaluating the Results of the Implementation of an Exercise Program on the Physical Condition for Learners of a Multicultural Second Chance School
International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences
The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of an organized exercise program based on selec... more The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of an organized exercise program based on selected fitness indicators on adult learners in a multicultural environment of a Second Chance School (SCS). 62 learners from the SCS of Komotini (19-57 years) participated in the study, where they were equally divided into two groups (experimental, control). The intervention program was implemented for 5 months (2 times/week) with an intensity of 65%-85% of the HRmax. Each exercise session lasted 60 minutes and included aerobic exercise and muscular strengthening. Measurements were performed at the beginning and end of the intervention, and "ALPHA-FIT Test Battery for Adults Aged 18-69" tests were used, as well as the "Sit-Ups in 30 sec" and "Sit and Reach" tests. For statistical processing of the data, descriptive statistics, analyses of variance ANOVA and T-Tests were used using the SPSS program. The analysis of the data showed that a statistically significant major influence of the measurement factor (p<.001) in all tests between the two groups (experimental, control) was observed in fitness indicators. Gender differences were found, with men performing better in dynamic tests than women, and women performing better in flexibility than men. In conclusion, the intervention program has significantly improved the Physical Condition of learners in the multicultural SCS of Komotini. Finally, further research is proposed with interventions of exercise programs in more than one SCS to examine the degree of participation and any positive changes that will occur in the fitness in a larger sample.
Investigation of atypical developmental coordination disorder, physical activity and body mass index in children Roma and non-Roma aged 10-12 years: A preliminary study
Comparing quality of childcare and kindergarten centres: the need for a strong and equal partnership in the Greek early childhood education system
Early Child Development and Care, 2015
The purpose of this study was to examine whether kindergartens and childcare centres differ in te... more The purpose of this study was to examine whether kindergartens and childcare centres differ in terms of educational and caregiving components. More specifically, two aspects of the process quality of the early childhood education and care were examined regarding the ‘Activities’ and the ‘Programme Structure’. A multi-stage sampling technique was applied to recruit a national representative sample from the Greek early childhood education system. A total of 535 early childhood classrooms from kindergarten and childcare programmes participated in the study, together with 4158 children. The quality of the participating classrooms was evaluated with the use of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) edition. Results showed a medium-quality picture from both the kindergarten and childcare classrooms. Explanations are provided regarding the statistically significant differences between the two types of preschool programmes. This study attempts to initiate a discussion about the need to build a strong and equal partnership between kindergarten and childcare programmes and to move towards a more coherent approach in the Greek early childhood education system.
Emotional relationships are crucial for an accurate prediction and control of the impact of emoti... more Emotional relationships are crucial for an accurate prediction and control of the impact of emotions on athletic performance. The Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF) model attempts to describe and explain emotions related to individually successful and poor performances (Hanin, 1997, 2000). The participants were 617 Greek athletes (424 males and 190 females) from five different sports. Their ages ranged from 18 to 30 years (M=24.30, SD=3.70). All athletes completed the questionnaire on emotions (IZOF, Hanin, 2000), which was translated into Greek (Hanin, Papaioannou & Lukkarila, 2001). The aim of the study was the examination of a possible relationship between emotions and confidence and among different competitive sports in Greece. The results supported the good psychometric properties of the assessment tool. Additionally, the results indicated statistically significant differences among sports in almost all the questionnaire variables: (a) in optimal-pleasant emotions swimmers had higher scores than Graeco-Roman and freestyle wrestlers, (b) in optimal-unpleasant emotions swimmers had higher scores than taekwondoists and water polo players, and (c) in dysfunctional-unpleasant emotions swimmers had lower scores than taekwondoists and water polo players. On the other hand, in dysfunctional-pleasant emotions and in confidence no statistically significant differences among the sports were found. According to previous research, it is also important to indicate that emotional content and intensity are different in training practice and competitions and that they vary across the pre-, mid-, and post-event performance situations (Hanin & Stambulova, 2002). Possible future research might replicate and extend the study's findings, explore an athlete's anxiety, goal-orientations, motivation and performance, and develop effective intervention strategies.
Background: The Greek bibliography does not provide researchers with a credible measurement instr... more Background: The Greek bibliography does not provide researchers with a credible measurement instrument that can estimate satisfaction as a multi-dimensional concept, in the frame of a physical education lesson. Objective: The main aim of this study was to cross-validate the Greek version of the Physical Activity Class Satisfaction Questionnaire (PACSQ) in a Greek educational context. The internal consistency of the PACSQ was also examined as well as the levels of satisfaction, gender, and grade of studies as factors that differentiate lesson satisfaction from lesson attendance. Methods: A total of 459 elementary school students (220 boys and 239 girls) aged between 11 and 12 years, across the country joined in the study. The Greek version of PACSQ was used. The statistical analysis included descriptive analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis and discriminant and convergent validity, and one-way multivariate analysis of variance. Results: The results of the confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the hypothesized model produced a significant χ 2 (3311.55), normed fit index (.95) and comparative fit index (.96). The root mean square error of approximation (.62) was also considered to assess the degree of fit of the model. Composite reliability (≥ .879) and variance extracted (≥ .586) of all dimensions of the PACSQ demonstrated an acceptable reliability coefficient. Conclusions: From the analysis of the results, we came to the following conclusions. The PACSQ constitutes an instrument credible enough to measure the satisfaction of elementary school male and female students. Students seem to be quite satisfied by the cognitive process. Gender is a differentiation factor only as far as Normative Success is concerned. Students in the 6 th grade (12 years old) appear to be more satisfied by their participatiοn in a physical education lesson.
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Papers by Olga Kouli