Effects of Daily Physical Education on the Development of Motor Skills and Health-Related Physical Fitness in Preschool Children
Effects of Daily Physical Education on the Development of Motor Skills and Health-Related Physical Fitness in Preschool Children
Background: During childhood, physical activity (PA) plays a fundamental role in motor development, as movement experiences during this critical period support the acquisition of both fine and gross motor skills (GMS) and foster an active lifestyle. This developmental phase, marked by regular engagement in PA and the progressive attainment of motor competence, has been consistently linked to a range of health benefits. Accordingly, early motor intervention programs have received considerable research attention for their demonstrated positive impact on children's motor skill development. Beyond such general approaches, more targeted strategies have also been explored, including programs aimed at increasing the amount of time devoted to PA within school settings. Prior studies have shown that incorporating structured exercise interventions-based on enjoyable, game-like activities-into the curriculum can significantly enhance children's fundamental motor skills.
Method and Materials: A total of 258 preschool children (128 boys, 130 girls) were assigned to either a gender-balanced experimental group participating in an innovative, daily physical education program (EG; n=125) or a control group following the standard institutional curriculum (CG; n=133). The average age of participants was 6.07±0.42 years (EG: 6.05±0.43; CG: 6.10±0.40). In EG, participants had organized physical activity 5 days per week (3 days led by physical education specialists, 2 days by preschool teachers), with each session lasting approximately 30-40 minutes. The CG continued their usual routine with structured physical activity two times per week (1 day led by a specialist, 1 day by a teacher). The program was implemented over a period of six months. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) and Body Coordination Test for Children (KTK) were used to assess GMS, while the PREFIT battery was used to assess health-related physical fitness.
Aim: Тhe study aimed to empirically determine the effects of an experimental physical education program in preschool institutions on the development of motor skills and the improvement of health-related physical fitness in preschool-aged children.
Study design: The experimental physical education program presents a structured, daily physical activity intervention implemented within the standard curriculum of preschool institutions, aimed at enhancing children's motor and health-related development. The study aimed to determine the effects of this program, which lasted six months, on preschoolers' gross motor skills (GMS) and health-related physical fitness. The study presents an Interventional study to improve motor abilities, and the main objective is prevention. The study model is parallel with two groups.
Participants: The initial sample consisted of 323 preschool children, comprising all preparatory preschool groups enrolled at the Preschool Institution "Vera Gucunja" in Sombor. A randomized, pretest-posttest experimental design was applied, whereby half of the preparatory groups from the urban area were allocated to the Experimental Group (EG), participating in the six-month innovative physical education program, while the remaining groups, following the institution's standard curriculum, formed the Control Group (CG). Only healthy children whose parents or guardians were informed about the study and voluntarily provided written consent were included. Due to illness-related dropout over the course of the study, the final sample assessed at follow-up measurement was reduced to 258 children (EG: n=125, 48.45%; CG: n=133, 51.55%), with a mean age of 6.07±0.42 years (EG: 6.05±0.43; CG: 6.10±0.40). The study received approval from the institutional ethics committee at the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad (ethical approval number: 142-451-2800/2018-01/01/2019).
Testing procedures
Secondary outcome: Anthropometric measures: Anthropometric data, including body height and body mass, were collected as part of the health-related fitness assessment. Following Martin's guidelines, body height was measured using a fixed anthropometer (GPM Anthropometer 100; DKSH Switzerland Ltd., Zurich, Switzerland; ± 0.1 cm). Body mass was measured with a digital balance (BC1000, Tanita, Japan; ± 0.1 kg), following the guidelines proposed by the International Biological Program (IBP).Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using the weight/height² (kg/m²) formula based on the measured height and weight values. Both measurements were taken twice, and both trials were recorded.
Primary outcome: TGMD-2 The Test of Gross Motor Development - 2 (TGMD-2) is a standardized test used to assess fundamental motor skills in children aged 3 to 10. It is widely regarded as a highly reliable and precise instrument for identifying children who lag behind their peers in motor skill development, evaluating individual progress, and assessing the effectiveness of motor intervention programs. The TGMD-2 assesses 12 fundamental motor skills divided into two subtests. The locomotor subtest consists of six skills: running, hopping, jumping, galloping, leaping, and sliding. The object control subtest includes six skills: striking a stationary ball, stationary dribbling, catching, kicking, throwing overhand, and underhand rolling. Each skill was verbally explained and demonstrated before testing, and participants were allowed one practice trial. Each skill was then performed twice, with locomotor skills assessed before object control skills, and each trial scored according to the test's performance criteria (1 point if the criterion was met, 0 if not). Testing took approximately 10-20 minutes per child and was performed indoors at each child's home kindergarten, with the exception of the shuttle run test, which, due to space constraints, was carried out at the "Partizan" Sokol Hall over three separate days. Total raw scores for each subtest and for the overall test ranged from 0 to 48.
Additional outcome: KTK (body coordination test) was used to assess general body coordination through four subtests: walking backwards along a beam, hopping on one leg over an obstacle, jumping sideways, and platform shifting. Each subtest was performed twice, with results converted into both raw and age- and sex-standardized (MQ) values.
Additional outcome: PREFIT battery (health-related physical fitness) The PREFIT battery was used to assess components of health-related physical fitness, including body composition (height, weight, BMI, waist circumference), muscular strength (handgrip strength, standing long jump), and cardiorespiratory/motor performance (4x10m running, shuttle run test). Testing followed a standardized order and protocol, with age-appropriate instructions and a narrative framework designed to engage preschool-aged children throughout the assessment.
Interventions: The EG participated in a six-month innovative physical education program, conducted daily (five days per week) during morning hours as part of the institution's directed activities, with sessions led by physical education specialists three days per week and by preschool teachers on the remaining two days. The program incorporated elements of ball sports (basketball, football, handball), athletics, gymnastics (developmental, corrective, rhythmic), children's yoga, children's aerobics, dance (folk and standard), and demonstrations of martial arts, with session duration adapted to age standards for directed activities (approximately 30-40 minutes for the preparatory preschool group). In contrast, the CG followed the institution's standard curriculum, engaging in structured physical activity two times per week (one day led by a specialist, one day by a teacher), in accordance with the general framework prescribed by the institution's annual work plan.
Statistical analyses: Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 20.0, IBM Corporation, USA). Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, range, skewness, and kurtosis) were calculated for all variables. Normality of distribution was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and the coefficient of variation. Differences in motor skills and health-related fitness between the EG and CG at initial and final measurement were examined using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA). Differences in the effects of the respective programs on motor skills and health-related fitness between groups were examined using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Where deviations from normal distribution were detected, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test was applied. Statistical significance was set at p≤0.05.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria: