Jasper de Graef

As a lecturer‑researcher and PhD candidate within the Actief Fundament project, I focus on studying how young children (aged 2–7) can move more and move better within integrated child centres. In this work, I use a variety of research methods, including activity monitors, questionnaires, observations and interviews. The perspectives of the children themselves are also explicitly included in the research. My work aligns with the broader mission of Fontys Sport and Movement to strengthen physical activity, motor development and well‑being in practice.

I completed the Physical Education Teacher Training Programme (ALO) at Fontys, with my first year in Tilburg and the following years in Eindhoven. I graduated in 2015. In 2019, I started the Master’s programme in Physical Education and Sports Pedagogy at Fontys Sport and Movement, which I completed cum laude in 2021. My master’s thesis focused on factors influencing the motor skills of young children.

Since 2021, I have been working as a teacher/educator and lecturer‑researcher within the Move to Be research group at Fontys Sport and Movement. In 2024, I began my PhD trajectory within the four‑year research project Actief Fundament, which focuses on developing a movement‑oriented approach for children aged 2 to 7 in integrated child centres.

Before joining Fontys, I gained extensive experience as a physical education teacher and as a coordinator of physical education at SALTO Eindhoven. I also worked in several sport‑ and movement‑related roles, including trainer/coach, developer for Natuurlijk Bewegen, and movement specialist.