TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring Cross-Cultural Differences in Fundamental Motor Skills Proficiency Between Polish and Latvian Children
AU - Makaruk, Hubert
AU - Grants, Juris
AU - Bodasińska, Anna
AU - Bula-Biteniece, Inta
AU - Zieliński, Janusz
AU - Dravniece, Irēna
AU - Starzak, Marcin
AU - Ciekurs, Kalvis
AU - Piech, Krzysztof
AU - Makaruk, Beata
AU - Žīdens, Janis
AU - Kalniņš, Kārlis
AU - Sadowski, Jerzy
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Hubert Makaruk et al., published by Sciendo.
PY - 2023/9/1
Y1 - 2023/9/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - fundamental movement skills
KW - FUS test
KW - motor competence
KW - physical education
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85174384768&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2478/pjst-2023-0014
DO - 10.2478/pjst-2023-0014
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85174384768
SN - 1899-1998
VL - 30
SP - 12
EP - 17
JO - Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism
JF - Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism
IS - 3
ER -