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Preschool children's motor development and perceived competence

This study compared the effects of two conditions on
the motor development of preschool children and
investigated the relationship between preschool children's
motor development and perceived competence. Specifically,
it provided information for discerning: a) the relative
effects of a sensory-motor condition and an unstructured
activities condition on the motor development of preschool
children immediately following the 20-week intervention;
and b) whether perceived competence was related to motor
development in the preschool children following
termination of the treatment. Additionally, a teacher
survey which addressed the teacher-consultant relationship
was developed and piloted within the context of the study
for use in future research.
Subjects were 31 children enrolled in two preschool
programs including: a) the curriculum group (N=16), and
b) the non-curriculum group (N=l5). The Peabody Motor
Developmental Scales and the Pictorial Scale of Perceived
Competence and Social Acceptance were used to assess the
children's motor development and perceived competence,
respectively. All subjects were tested prior to the 20-
week intervention period and immediately following the
intervention.
A series of 2 (group) X 2 (testing time) repeated
measures analyses of variance were used to analyze the
impact of the two conditions. Results revealed that the
motor development of subjects in both groups changed
significantly over time; however, there were no
differences between groups.
Product-moment correlations and linear regression
analyses were used to assess the relationship between
preschool children's motor development and perceived
competence. Results revealed that perceived competence
relative to motor development did not change over time;
however a reciprocal relationship between motor
development and perceived competence in preschool children
was found.
The piloted teacher survey showed potential for
evaluation of service delivery models and as a tool for
teacher-consultant communication in future studies. / Graduation date: 1991

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/37169
Date20 November 1990
CreatorsBoucher, Barbara H.
ContributorsDoescher, Susan M.
Source SetsOregon State University
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis/Dissertation

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