Promotion of basic motor competencies through pupils’ ability, knowledge, and willingness. Effects of an 8-week PE program in 2nd and 4th grade.

Abstract

As soon as children want to participate in movement and sports culture, they need basic motor competencies (BMC). Hence, the acquisition of BMC in primary school physical education is a core objective in primary school curricula. However, a considerable part of European pupils do not develop sufficient BMC during primary school years (Wälti et al., 2022). At the same time, Ruin and Stibbe (2014) highlight a lack of concrete methods for implementing competence-oriented curricula. Therefore, methodological considerations and interventions that allow conclusions about the design of PE programs to promote BMC are needed.

This study examined the immediate and long-term effects of an 8-week competence-oriented PE program on 2^nd, and 4^th graders’ BMC. In the German paradigm of competence (Klieme et al., 2008) promoting competence, understood as ability, knowledge, and willingness is one of the main goals of physical education (Amesberger & Stadler 2014). Aligned with competence paradigm, the PE program targeted motor-activity (ability) through movement-games. It also enhanced self-regulation (willingness) and cognitive engagement (knowledge) by offering movement-tasks of varying difficulty, which student could choose and evaluate using self-assessment forms.

In a quasi-experimental study, 116 2^nd, and 110 4^th graders were assigned to an intervention and control group and BMC were tested with MOBAK-1-2 respectively MOBAK-3-4 (Herrmann, 2018) pre, post, and follow-up in overall-competence, self-movement and object-movement.

Repeated measured ANCOVAs (sex and BMI as covariates) revealed strong time effects (e.g. η² = .31, p < .001 for overall-competence in 2^nd grade), small to moderate time*group interaction effects (e.g. η² = .08, p < .01 for object-movement in 2^nd grade) and medium group effects (e.g. η² = .11, p < .001 for self-movement in 2^nd grade) for overall-competence, self-movement, and object movement. Merely for object-movement in 4^th grade, only a strong time effect (η² = .24, p < .001) was observed, with no interaction or group effects, indicating that all 4^th graders developed object-movement during study period independent of the study group.

The results suggest that a competence-based PE program can promote BMC in primary school. Nevertheless, the lack of the interaction effect on object-movement in 4^th grade shows that these effects are not general. Future studies should continue to investigate the effects of competency-oriented PE programs on pupil’s competence development.

References

Amesberger, G., & Stadler, R. (2014). Bildungsstandard für Bewegung und Sport. Handreichung für kompetenzorientiertes Lernen und Lehren [Educational standard for physical activity and sport. Handout for competence-orientated learning and teaching]. Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (BMUKK).

Herrmann, C. (2018). MOBAK 1-4. Test zur Erfassung Motorischer Basiskompetenzen für die Klassen 1-4 [MOBAK 1-4. Test to assess basic motor skills for grades 1-4]. Hogrefe.

Klieme, E., Hartig, J., & Rauch, D. (2008). The concept of competence in educational contexts. In J. Hartig, E. Klieme, & D. Leutner (Ed.), Assessment of competencies in educational contexts. (pp. 3-22). Hogrefe & Huber.

Ruin, S., & Stibbe, G. (2014). Zum Bildungs- und Erziehungsverständnis in kompetenzorientierten Lehrplänen [On the understanding of education and upbringing in competence-orientated curricula]. Sportunterricht, 63(6), 168-173.

Wälti, M., Sallen, J., Adamakis, M., Ennigkeit, F., Gerlach, E., Heim, C., Jidovtseff, B., Kossyva, I., Labudová, J., Masaryková, D., Mombarg, R., De Sousa Morgado, L., Niederkofler, B., Niehues, M., Onofre, M., Pühse, U., Quitério, A., Scheuer, C., Seelig, H., Vlček, P., … Herrmann, C. (2022). Basic motor competencies of 6- to 8-year-old primary school children in 10 European countries: A cross-sectional study on associations with age, sex, body mass index, and physical activity. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 804753. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.804753