Degree Name
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Program
Early Childhood Education
Date of Award
8-2025
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Alissa Lange
Committee Members
Jane Broderick, Kathryn Sharp, Ryan Nivens
Abstract
This convergent mixed-methods study investigated Missouri preschool teachers’ familiarity, implementation, and perceptions of conceptual movement (CM), the purposeful integration of bodily actions to support young children’s understanding of abstract academic concepts, particularly in early mathematics instruction. Grounded in embodied cognition and informed by enactivism and the theory of event coding (TEC), the study explored: (a) preschool teachers’ awareness and frequency of CM use; (b) how teacher characteristics such as experience, age group taught, and math anxiety relate to CM implementation; and (c) teachers’ perceptions of CM’s instructional value, implementation challenges, and professional development needs.
Quantitative data were collected through a statewide survey of 188 early childhood educators, while qualitative data were obtained from interviews with six preschool teachers who implemented CM-based math activities over a six-week period. Findings revealed key areas of convergence across data strands. First, while 54% of survey participants reported using movement-based instructional strategies, only 42% were familiar with the term “conceptual movement,” indicating a disconnect between practice and terminology. Second, CM was widely perceived as beneficial, with over 85% of participants agreeing it enhances student engagement and conceptual understanding. Third, a negative correlation between math anxiety and CM use (r = –.159, p = .019) suggested that teachers with greater anxiety may be less likely to adopt CM. Fourth, regression analyses indicated that years of experience and age group taught were significant negative predictors of CM use, while education level was not. Finally, while 45% of participants expressed interest in CM-focused professional development, interview data revealed a stronger demand for practical, collaborative, and embedded training formats.
Implementation challenges included managing classroom behavior, time constraints, and material preparation. However, teachers also described adaptive strategies, such as flexible grouping, routine building, and peer collaboration. Qualitative findings underscored CM’s potential to improve student focus, support whole-child development, and increase teacher confidence, particularly in math instruction.
This study affirms CM’s value as a developmentally appropriate, cognitively enriching, and emotionally supportive pedagogy in early childhood settings. Findings offer actionable guidance for educators, professional development providers, and policy leaders aiming to strengthen early mathematics instruction through embodied and movement-based approaches.
Document Type
Dissertation - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Orimaye, Kehinde H., "Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives on Conceptual Movement in Academic Instruction: A Mixed- Methods Study with Implications for Early Math" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4576. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4576
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Early Childhood Education Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons
