123 research outputs found
‘Deliberate Preparation’ as an evidence-based focus for primary physical education
There is substantial scientific research suggesting the physical and psychological health benefits of a physically active lifestyle. Consequently, governments worldwide prioritize policies, finances, and resources in healthcare, education, and sports sectors to increase mass participation in physical activity. However, practices in physical activity promotion are often not underpinned by evidence-based standardization that is requisite in other domains of epidemiology. The aim of this article is to examine critically the available scientific research on promoting life-long physical activity participation and to propose an evidence-based model for implementation in school physical education. Reasons are discussed as to why programs that integrate physical, psychological, and behavioral skills have been long acknowledged in physical education and physical activity domains but remain lacking in empirical validation. Finally, future directions are suggested that are required to examine the application of this approach to practice in primary-level physical education
Guided play and free play in an enriched environment: impact on motor development
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of guided play and free play in an enriched environment
intervention programs using motor skill development in kindergarten children. Seventy-one children attending
kindergarten classes were assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. Participants performed the Test
of Gross Motor Development-2 before and after the intervention period. Results revealed that both boys and girls in the
guided play group showed motor skill improvement, whereas no changes were observed in motor development in the
boys and girls assigned to the free play in enriched environment group, nor in those in the control group. These findings
indicate that the teacher’s role in the guided play intervention was crucial to help preschool children to improve their
performance.CIEC – Research Centre on Child Studies, UM (FCT R&D 317
Assessing fundamental motor skills in Belgian children aged 3-8 years highlights differences to US reference sample
AIM: This study aimed to understand the fundamental motor skills (FMS) of Belgian children using the process-oriented Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition (TGMD-2) and to investigate the suitability of using the United States (USA) test norms in Belgium. METHODS: FMS were assessed using the TGMD-2. Gender, age and motor performance were examined in 1614 Belgian children aged 3-8 years (52.1% boys) and compared with the US reference sample. RESULTS: More proficient FMS performance was found with increasing age, from 3 to 6 years for locomotor skills and 3 to 7 years for object control skills. Gender differences were observed in object control skills, with boys performing better than girls. In general, Belgian children had lower levels of motor competence than the US reference sample, specifically for object control skills. The score distribution of the Belgian sample was skewed, with 37.4% scoring below average and only 6.9% scoring above average. CONCLUSION: This study supported the usefulness of the TGMD-2 as a process-oriented instrument to measure gross motor development in early childhood in Belgium. However, it also demonstrated that caution is warranted when using the US reference norms
Rationale and study protocol for the Movement Oriented Games Based Assessment (MOGBA) cluster randomized controlled trial: A complex movement skill intervention for 8-12 year old children within 'Made to Play'
There is a positive relationship between children's movement competence and physical activity, with a further relationship established between physical activity and childhood obesity. The Movement Oriented Games Based Assessment (MOGBA) is a delivery and assessment intervention designed to improve children's complex movement skills, based on principles of motor development and assessment theories. MOGBA aims to improve children's movement competence, physical fitness and self-perceptions (physical and game) and increase children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). MOGBA is to be used in the 'Made to Play' initiative, involving 105 sports and activity programs across 21 countries, involving over 25 million children. A multi-site cluster randomized controlled trial will take place across three global sites (UK, Ireland and Australia). Each site will recruit eight primary schools (four experiment, four control) with each school providing two separate classes of children from age ranges 8-12 years (Site n = ~300, total n = 904). After baseline assessments, schools will be randomly allocated to an experimental or wait-list control group. Following two half-day workshops, trained facilitators will deliver the MOGBA intervention for 9 weeks. The main intervention components include delivery of 14 games-based activities with associated assessments of children's movement and differentiation to meet children's needs by manipulating space, effort and relationships. The primary outcome of the trial is to improve children's' movement competence (The Dragon Challenge), with secondary outcomes of improving children's' in-activity and leisure-time MVPA (5-day accelerometer), physical fitness (standing long jump and push ups) and self-perceptions (physical and game). Data will be analysed using multilevel modelling approaches. The MOGBA intervention has been designed to improve children's movement competence and scalable interventions based on MOGBA could be applied across programs within the Made to Play initiative, globally. The trial is registered at the Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12619001320145p, 27 Sep 2019)
Skyrmions and spirals in MnSi under hydrostatic pressure
The archetype cubic chiral magnet MnSi is home to some of the most
fascinating states in condensed matter such as skyrmions and a non-Fermi liquid
behavior in conjunction with a topological Hall effect under hydrostatic
pressure. Using small angle neutron scattering, we study the evolution of the
helimagnetic, conical and skyrmionic correlations with increasing hydrostatic
pressure. We show that the helical propagation vector smoothly reorients from
to at intermediate pressures. At
higher pressures, above the critical pressure, the long-range helimagnetic
order disappears at zero magnetic field. Nevertheless, skyrmion lattices and
conical spirals form under magnetic fields, in a part of the phase diagram
where a topological Hall effect and a non-Fermi liquid behavior have been
reported. These unexpected results shed light on the puzzling behavior of MnSi
at high pressures and the mechanisms that destabilize the helimagnetic
long-range order at the critical pressure
Laying the foundations for physical literacy in Wales: the contribution of the Foundation Phase to the development of physical literacy
ABSTRACT
Background: The Foundation Phase in Wales is a play-based curriculum
for pupils aged 3–7 years old. Children learn through more holistic areas
of learning in place of traditional subjects. As such, the subject of
physical education in its traditional form no longer exists for pupils
under the age of 7 in Wales. In light of the role of physical education in
developing physical literacy and in particular the importance of this age
group for laying the foundations of movement for lifelong engagement
in physical activity, the disappearance of physical education from the
curriculum could be deemed to be a concern.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the Foundation Phase
as a naturalistic intervention and examine its contribution to the
development of physical literacy.
Participants and setting: Participants included year 1 pupils (N = 49) aged
5 and 6 from two schools in contrasting locations. A smaller group within
each class was selected through purposive sampling for the repeated
measures assessments (N = 18).
Research design and methods: A complementarity mixed-method
design combined quantitative and qualitative methods to study the
Foundation Phase as a naturalistic intervention. Quantitative data were
generated with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 administered to
the sample group of children from both schools as a quasi-repeated
measure, the physical competence subscale of the Pictorial Scale of
Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance and the Leuven
Involvement Scale for Young Children. Qualitative data were generated
throughout the study from the analysis of video and field notes through
participant observation. Data from the mixed methods were analysed
through complementarity to give a rich insight into pupils’ progress and
experiences in relation to physical literacy.
Results: Overall analysis of the data from TGMD-2 showed significant
improvements in the Gross Motor Quotient and Locomotor skills from
T1 to T3, but no significant improvement in object control. Data from
qualitative methods were analysed to explore processes that may
account for these findings. Video and field notes complement the
quantitative data highlighting that children were developing their
locomotor skills in many aspects of their learning. Observations using the Leuven Involvement Scale indicated that children had high levels of
involvement in their learning and apparent in video and field notes was
pupils’ motivation for movement. Paired sample t-tests (N = 18)
conducted on the Harter and Pike perceived physical competence sixitem score subscales (T1 and T3) indicated a significant difference in the
mean perceived physical competence scores on the six-item scale
between T1and T3. Qualitative data explored pupils’ confidence for
movement in many areas of learning.
Conclusion: The combination of quantitative and qualitative data
indicates that the Foundation Phase is an early childhood curriculum
that lays the foundations of physical literacy with the exception of
aspects of the physical competence, specifically object control skills.
Although these skills only contribute to psychomotor aspects of physical
literacy they are strongly associated with later engagement in physical
activity. The development of specific physical skills such as object
control skills may need more specialist input with early childhood
pedagogy teachers trained in motor development to see significant
improvement
Assessment of motor functioning in the preschool period
The assessment of motor functioning in young children has become increasingly important in recent years with the acknowledgement that motor impairment is linked with cognitive, language, social and emotional difficulties. However, there is no one gold standard assessment tool to investigate motor ability in children. The aim of the current paper was to discuss the issues related to the assessment of motor ability in young pre-school children and to provide guidelines on the best approach for motor assessment. The paper discusses the maturational changes in brain development at the preschool level in relation to motor ability. Other issues include sex differences in motor ability at this young age, and evidence for this in relation to sociological versus biological influences. From the previous literature it is unclear what needs to be assessed in relation to motor functioning. Should the focus be underlying motor processes or movement skill assessment? Several key assessment tools are discussed that produce a general measure of motor performance followed by a description of tools that assess specific skills, such as fine and gross motor, ball and graphomotor skills. The paper concludes with recommendations on the best approach in assessing motor function in pre-school children
Validity and reliability of field-based measures for assessing movement skill competency in lifelong physical activities: a systematic review
Background: It has been suggested that young people should develop competence in a variety of ‘lifelong physical activities’ to ensure that they can be active across the lifespan. Objective: The primary aim of this systematic review is to report the methodological properties, validity, reliability, and test duration of field-based measures that assess movement skill competency in lifelong physical activities. A secondary aim was to clearly define those characteristics unique to lifelong physical activities. Data Sources: A search of four electronic databases (Scopus, SPORTDiscus, ProQuest, and PubMed) was conducted between June 2014 and April 2015 with no date restrictions. Study Selection: Studies addressing the validity and/or reliability of lifelong physical activity tests were reviewed. Included articles were required to assess lifelong physical activities using process-oriented measures, as well as report either one type of validity or reliability. Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods: Assessment criteria for methodological quality were adapted from a checklist used in a previous review of sport skill outcome assessments. Results: Movement skill assessments for eight different lifelong physical activities (badminton, cycling, dance, golf, racquetball, resistance training, swimming, and tennis) in 17 studies were identified for inclusion. Methodological quality, validity, reliability, and test duration (time to assess a single participant), for each article were assessed. Moderate to excellent reliability results were found in 16 of 17 studies, with 71 % reporting inter-rater reliability and 41 % reporting intra-rater reliability. Only four studies in this review reported test–retest reliability. Ten studies reported validity results; content validity was cited in 41 % of these studies. Construct validity was reported in 24 % of studies, while criterion validity was only reported in 12 % of studies. Limitations: Numerous assessments for lifelong physical activities may exist, yet only assessments for eight lifelong physical activities were included in this review. Generalizability of results may be more applicable if more heterogeneous samples are used in future research. Conclusion: Moderate to excellent levels of inter- and intra-rater reliability were reported in the majority of studies. However, future work should look to establish test–retest reliability. Validity was less commonly reported than reliability, and further types of validity other than content validity need to be established in future research. Specifically, predictive validity of ‘lifelong physical activity’ movement skill competency is needed to support the assertion that such activities provide the foundation for a lifetime of activity
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