Effects of a Need-Supportive Motor Skill Intervention on Children’s Motor Skill Competence and Physical Activity

Joonyoung Lee,Tsz Chu,Xiangli Gu,Tao Zhang

doi:10.3390/children7030021

Abstract

A need-supportive environment can provide various motivational benefits to impact children’s psychomotor developmental levels. However, very little is known about the effects of need-supportive motor skill intervention on children’s motor skill competence and physical activity by gender. Guided by self-determination theory (SDT), this study aimed to (a) investigate the effect of a need-supportive fundamental movement skill (FMS) program on children’s FMS competence and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and (b) explore potential gender differences in these effects. Thirty-six children (63.8% girls; Mage = 6.52 ± 0.97) participated and were divided into two groups: an intervention group (24 need-supportive FMS sessions over eight weeks) and a control group. A repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to examine the influence of the motor skill intervention on FMS competence and MVPA over time by group (intervention, control) and gender (boys, girls). The results showed (a) significant group differences between the intervention and control group in FMS competence and MVPA (p < 0.001), (b) non-significant gender differences between boys and girls in FMS competence and MVPA (p = 0.85), and (c) non-significant interaction effects over time (p = 0.52). The findings highlight that a need-supportive FMS program may enhance FMS development and daily physical activity for both genders during the early school years.

Highlights

National standards and grade-level outcomes emphasize fostering the maturation of fundamental motor skills (FMS) and developing the understanding of movement concepts in early grades [1].FMS consist of two main categories: locomotor skills involving the movement of the body via space and object control skills requiring hands and feet to manipulate an object [2]
These findings provide us with strong rationales to develop FMS competence in young children
The findings of significantly increased FMS competence through instructional climate change in the FMS intervention are in accordance with the findings of previous studies [27,32,55], which reflect the benefits of promoting a motivational climate in FMS intervention on both locomotor and object control skills among children compared to the control group

Summary

Introduction

National standards and grade-level outcomes emphasize fostering the maturation of fundamental motor skills (FMS) and developing the understanding of movement concepts in early grades [1].FMS consist of two main categories: locomotor skills involving the movement of the body via space (e.g., running and galloping) and object control skills requiring hands and feet to manipulate an object (e.g., throwing and catching) [2]. National standards and grade-level outcomes emphasize fostering the maturation of fundamental motor skills (FMS) and developing the understanding of movement concepts in early grades [1]. FMS underscore specific and complex motor skills in varied activities across the lifespan [3]. Previous studies have demonstrated that sufficient FMS competence is associated with increased physical activity and improved health status over one’s lifetime [4,5,6]. These findings provide us with strong rationales to develop FMS competence in young children.

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Conclusion