Abstract
The Convergent Parallel Design mixed method is used as the research methodology to assess the usage of multi-touch hand gestures towards fine motor skills among preschool children. This study involved 30 pre-school children aged between 5 to 6 years old from Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam. The samples are divided into multi-touch gestures group and single touch gestures group. The quantitative data were the test scores of a dot-to-dot activity and the qualitative data were the pre-school children’s emergent behaviors while engaging with mobile apps and controlling writing instruments. The quantitative data were analyzed by using independent sample T-Test and paired sample T-Test. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between the two groups as the independent sample T-Test indicate the value of sig, p = 0.029. The paired sample T-Test also indicate that the pre-test score and post-test score are significantly positive correlated (r = 0.503) and the value of sig, p = 0.005 showed that there is significance difference between pre-test score and post-test score. The statistical data proved that there is an effect of the use multi-touch hand gesture in mobile application towards pre-school children’s fine motor skills which is also supported by qualitative findings. As for conclusion, the use of multi-touch hand gestures can help the pre-school children to implement small movements of their fingers which indirectly develop their fine motor skills thus helping them holding and using pencils and some other instruments appropriately.
Highlights
Nowadays, using smartphones and tablets are a part of young children daily lives
The results indicated that the multi-touch group mean is higher than the single touch group mean with slightly difference of 1.57 respectively
An independent sample T-Test was conducted to compare the effect of the use multi-touch hand gesture and single-touch hand gestures in mobile application towards pre-school children’s fine motor skills
Summary
Nowadays, using smartphones and tablets are a part of young children daily lives. Young children as early as one year old are allowed by their parents to use the smartphones or tablets They likes to use the devices as it can download any mobile apps embedded with game-based learning activities. Playing crucial for the development of children's gross and fine motor skills as they can practice and control perfectly their large body movements, as well as their small movements of hands and fingers. This approach is convenient with the children development because it is not too formal and will attract them to learn. The game-based learning method supported by the touch screen technology will make the children’s learning more meaningful, fun and straightforward because of the learning and teaching that they want to convey are equivalent with the nature of children where the word play itself is already synonym with them
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