Hábitos y motivos de ejercicio físico en estudiantes universitarios y su relación con el valor otorgado a la Educación Física (Undergraduates’ physical exercise habits and motives and their relationship with the value given to Physical Education)

El potencial de la motricidad en Educacion Infantil podria verse afectado por diversos factores, como la actitud de los docentes hacia el trabajo motor en Educacion Infantil o su practica de ejercicio fisico. Por esta razon, el objetivo fue conocer los habitos y motivos de practica de ejercicio fisico de los futuros docentes, comprobando si ello incide en el valor otorgado al desarrollo de la motricidad en Educacion Infantil. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 196 estudiantes de los tres primeros cursos del Grado de Maestro en Educacion Infantil, con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y 22 anos. Para conocer sus motivos de practica de ejercicio fisico, completaron la Escala de Medida de los Motivos para la Actividad Fisica-Revisada. Ademas, se conocio su opinion respecto a la utilidad de la motricidad en Educacion Infantil para el futuro de los ninos, y a los aspectos a los que mas contribuye la motricidad, asi como su habito de ejercicio fisico. Los estudiantes de segundo y tercer curso son quienes consideran mas utiles las clases de Educacion Fisica. La mayoria practican ejercicio fisico por motivos de fitness y disfrute. Se hallaron correlaciones positivas entre la subescala fitness y la utilidad otorgado a las clases de motricidad. Es posible concluir, por tanto, la alta importancia de las clases de Educacion Fisica en Educacion Infantil segun los futuros docentes, asi como la necesidad de promocionar la practica de ejercicio fisico entre estos con el proposito de aumentar esta valoracion, debido a los resultados obtenidos en este trabajo. Abstract. The potential of motor skills in Early Childhood Education could be affected by several factors, such as teachers’ attitude towards motor development in pre-schoolers or their physical exercise habits. For that reason, the aim was to know future teachers’ habits and motives to do physical exercise, assessing if this affects the value that teachers give to the development of psychomotricity in this stage. The sample was composed of 196 undergraduates from the first three years of the Degree in Early Childhood Education, aged between 18 and 21 years old. In order to know their reasons for doing physical exercise, they filled the Motives for Physical Activity Measure-Revised. In addition, their opinions regarding the usefulness of Physical Education lessons for the future of preschoolers, and the aspects to which motor skills contribute the most, were revealed, as well as their physical exercise habits. Undergraduates belonging to the second and third year were those who considered Physical Education lessons as more useful. The great majority of students did physical exercise for reasons such as fitness and enjoyment. Positive correlations were found between the fitness subscale and the usefulness given to Physical Education lessons by undergraduates. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that Physical Education lessons have great importance in Early Childhood Education according to future teachers. Furthermore, taking these findings into account, the need to promote physical exercise among them is also highlighted, with the aim of increasing the value of psychomotricity.