This master's thesis examines creative movement as a holistic teaching approach among special and rehabilitation teachers in Slovenia.
In the theoretical part, children with special needs are defined and the system of education for children with special needs in Slovenia is presented, including primary school educational programs and the fundamental principles of educational practice. The importance of movement for a child's holistic development is discussed, including the definition of movement, its connection to physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development, as well as the concepts of embodied cognition and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. Creativity is also addressed, followed by a focus on learning processes, including teaching methods, learning and perceptual styles and the characteristics of holistic and experiential learning. The central part of the theoretical framework is devoted to creative movement, which is defined and presented as a holistic end experiential teaching approach, with emphasis on its advantages. Particular attention is given to the benefits of creative movement for children with special needs, relevant research findings in this field and examples of its integration into different subject areas. The theoretical section concludes with an overview of obstacles to its implementation in practice.
The empirical part is based on a quantitative research approach. The aim of the study was to determine the extent to which special and rehabilitation teachers in Slovenia use creative movement in their work, the pedagogical value they attribute to it and the factors influencing its (non-)use in educational practice. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and the study included 96 professionals working in various educational programs in Slovenia.
The results showed that approximately two thirds of the participants incorporate creative movement into their work, with frequency ranging from occasional to almost daily use. Most participants attribute high pedagogical value to creative movement. Statistical analyses revealed no significant differences in its use with regard to age, years of professional experience or school environment (urban/rural). Attitudes toward creative movement emerged as the key predictor of its use, as more positive attitudes were associated with a higher likelihood of implementation.
The findings indicate that creative movement has considerable potential as a holistic teaching approach among special and rehabilitation teachers in Slovenia. However, its implementation is not yet fully systematic and is influenced primarily by individual attitudes as well as factors such as lack of time, perceived insufficient competence and organizational constraints. These findings highlight the importance of quality initial education, additional professional training and systematic support for special and rehabilitation teachers in integrating creative movement into everyday educational practice.
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