Exploring Cross-Cultural Differences in Fundamental Motor Skills Proficiency Between Polish and Latvian Children
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Date
2023-09-01
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Abstract
Introduction. Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are a critical component of success in various sports and lifelong physical activity (PA). This study aimed to evaluate and compare the FMS proficiency levels of 7-9-year-old children from Poland and Latvia, providing insights into the current state of motor competence in these populations. Material and Methods. A cross-sectional study design was utilized, incorporating a sample of 163 boys and girls. The FUS test (Fundamental Motor Skills in Sport), a comprehensive, qualitative, and process-oriented assessment tool was used to assess FMS. The FUS test encompassed a range of movement tasks, including hurdles, jumping rope, forward roll, ball bouncing, ball throwing and catching, and kicking and stopping a ball that allows for a thorough evaluation of FMS proficiency. Results. The study revealed alarmingly low FMS proficiency levels in both countries, with 93.3% of students displaying 'insufficient FMS proficiency'. The Mann-Whitney U test showed that Latvian boys outperformed their Polish peers in jumping rope and forward roll (p < 0.05), while Polish boys exhibited superior results in kicking and stopping a ball (p < 0.05). In contrast, Polish girls achieved significantly higher scores in hurdles and kicking and stopping a ball (p < 0.05) compared to Latvian girls, who scored higher in jumping rope (p < 0.05). Conclusions. These findings highlight the urgent need for effective, evidence-based interventions to improve motor competence in both countries, emphasizing the importance of incorporating FMS development into physical education curricula and promoting regular PA for children.
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Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Hubert Makaruk et al., published by Sciendo.
Keywords
fundamental movement skills, FUS test, motor competence, physical education, 3.3 Health sciences, 5.2 Economy and Business, 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation, Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management
Citation
Makaruk, H, Grants, J, Bodasińska, A, Bula-Biteniece, I, Zieliński, J, Dravniece, I, Starzak, M, Ciekurs, K, Piech, K, Makaruk, B, Žīdens, J, Kalniņš, K & Sadowski, J 2023, 'Exploring Cross-Cultural Differences in Fundamental Motor Skills Proficiency Between Polish and Latvian Children', Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 12-17. https://doi.org/10.2478/pjst-2023-0014