Decision-Making in Elementary Age Children: Effects on Motor Skills and Self-Concept

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of vertical and horizontal teaching models on the development of specific motor skills and self-concept in elementary-aged children. The treatment group consisted of 230 Boston school children, grades one through five, who participated either in a physical activity program in which the teacher made all the decisions (vertical model) or in a program in which they shared in the decision-making process (horizontal model). An additional 115 elementary school children were used as a control group. The Cheffers Adaptation of Flanders Interaction Analysis System was used to verify the two treatments used in the study. The Body Coordination Test was used to test motor skill development, and the Martinek-Zaichkowsky Self-Concept Scale for Children was used to measure self-concept. Results indicated that a teacher-directed approach appears to be best for the development of motor skills and that a student-sharing approach has a definite positive effect ...