A mixed methods analysis of needs for developing elementary students' manipulative motor skills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v73.117911Keywords:
manipulative motor skills, gender differences, differentiated learning, elementary school students, motor developmentAbstract
Introduction: Manipulative motor skills are an important aspect of the motor development of elementary school-aged children.
Objective: This study aims to analyze differences in manipulative motor skills between male and female students and identify factors influencing these differences.
Methodology: This study used an explanatory sequential design. A total of 27 sixth-grade elementary school students participated. The instruments used were the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD) and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative analysis was conducted using an independent two-sample t-test, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically.
Results: Male students had significantly higher manipulative skill scores than female students. The qualitative analysis identified three main themes: (1) male students had a higher frequency of practice and interest in ball games; (2) female students experienced physical barriers and less supportive activity preferences; (3) female students demonstrated a more dominant perception of movement difficulties.
Discussion: The importance of differentiated learning that takes into account differences in gender, interests, and physical barriers in students. Teachers need to provide support and equitable opportunities so that every student, both boys and girls, can develop their manipulative movement skills optimally and inclusively.
Conclusions: Gender influences students' manipulative skills. Developing a physical education learning model based on group and differentiated games is necessary to reasonably and effectively accommodate the differences in movement modalities and the potential of each student.
References
Abusleme-Allimant, R., Hurtado-Almonacid, J., Reyes-Amigo, T., Yáñez-Sepúlveda, R., Cortés-Roco, G., Arroyo-Jofré, P., & Páez-Herrera, J. (2023). Effects of structured and unstructured physical ac-tivity on gross motor skills in preschool students to promote sustainability in the physical edu-cation classroom. Sustainability, 15(13), 10167. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310167
Anggara, N., Pratiwi, E., Juniarto, M., Juni Samodra, Y. T., Basuki, S., Indah, E. P., Herlinda Dos Santos, M., Defliyanto, D., Fitri Novita Sari, E., & Aspar, M. (2024). Implementation of manipulative basic movement learning model development for students aged 5-6 years. International Journal of Disabilities Sports and Health Sciences, 7(4), 730–740. https://doi.org/10.33438/ijdshs.1446438
Biino, V., Giustino, V., Gallotta, M. C., Bellafiore, M., Battaglia, G., Lanza, M., Baldari, C., Giuriato, M., Fi-glioli, F., Guidetti, L., & Schena, F. (2023). Effects of sports experience on children’s gross motor coordination level. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 5, 1310074. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1310074
Biino, V., Pesce, C., & Martins, C. (2025). Motor skill development at preschool age in girls and boys: The role of outdoor free play. Children, 12(5), 594. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12050594
Blegur, J., & Hardiansyah, S. (2024). Differentiation instruction publications in physical education: Bi-bliometric analysis of the last ten years. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 18(3), 902–913. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v18i3.21307
Chen, J., Wang, X., Zhang, Z., & Chen, W. (2021). Assessing elementary school students’ manipulative skill competency in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6), 3150. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063150
Chen, W., Mason, S., Hammond-Bennett, A., & Zalmout, S. (2016). Manipulative skill competency and health-related physical fitness in elementary school students. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 5(4), 491–499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2015.03.007
Chen, W., Mason, S., Hypnar, A., & Bennett, A. (2016). Assessing motor skill competency in elementary school students: A three-year study. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 15, 102–110. http://www.jssm.org
Clark, C., Moran, J., Drury, B., Venetsanou, F., & Fernandes, J. (2018). Actual vs. perceived motor compe-tence in children (8–10 Years): An issue of non-veridicality. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 3(2), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk3020020
Cohen, K. E., Morgan, P. J., Plotnikoff, R. C., Callister, R., & Lubans, D. R. (2014). Fundamental movement skills and physical activity among children living in low-income communities: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 11(1), 49. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-11-49
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods ap-proaches (4th ed.). SAGE.
Dewi, R., & Verawati, I. (2021). The effect of manipulative games to improve fundamental motor skills in elementary school students. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 10(1), 24–37. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijemst.2163
Dinkel, D., & Snyder, K. (2020). Exploring gender differences in infant motor development related to parent’s promotion of play. Infant Behavior and Development, 59, 101440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101440
Field, S., & Temple, V. (2017). The relationship between fundamental motor skill proficiency and par-ticipation in organized sports and active recreation in middle childhood. Sports, 5(2), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports5020043
Friskawati, G. F., Ma’mun, A., & Mahendra, A. (2023). Early childhood educators’ beliefs on increasing fundamental motor skills by playing games in a physical education context: The contradictory belief. Edu Sportivo: Indonesian Journal of Physical Education, 4(3), 243–255. https://doi.org/10.25299/esijope.2023.vol4(3).14540
Gidley Larson, J. C., Mostofsky, S. H., Goldberg, M. C., Cutting, L. E., Denckla, M. B., & Mahone, E. M. (2007). Effects of fender and age on motor exam in typically developing children. Developmen-tal Neuropsychology, 32(1), 543–562. https://doi.org/10.1080/87565640701361013
Goodway, J. D., Ozmun, J. C., & Gallahue, D. L. (2019). Understanding motor development: Infants, chil-dren, adolescents, adults (8th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Gumilar, A., Hakiki, F., Kusuma, B. A., Sumpena, A., Firmansyah, H., Yudiana, Y., & Fajrah Ilsya, M. N. (2023). Identification of basic manipulative movement skills throwing, catching, kicking, and trapping in children aged 15-16 years. Journal of Physical Education for Secondary Schools, 3(1), 199–206. https://doi.org/10.17509/jpess.v3i1.82598
He, Y., Zhou, L., Liang, W., Liu, Q., Liu, W., & Wang, S. (2024). Individual, family, and environmental co-rrelates of fundamental motor skills among school-aged children: a cross-sectional study in China. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 208. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17728-2
Huggett, E., & Howells, K. (2024). Supporting young children’s physical development through tailored motor competency interventions within a school setting. Children, 11(9), 1122. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091122
Hurtado-Almonacid, J., Reyes-Amigo, T., Yáñez-Sepúlveda, R., Cortés-Roco, G., Oñate-Navarrete, C., Oli-vares-Arancibia, J., & Páez-Herrera, J. (2024). Development of basic motor skills from 3 to 10 years of age: Comparison by sex and age range in Chilean children. Children, 11(6), 715. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11060715
Irwandi, B., Nuryadi, & Gumilar, A. (2023). Keterampilan gerak manipulatif siswa sekolah dasar berda-sarkan gender pasca pandemi Covid-19. Gelanggang Olahraga: Jurnal Pendidikan Jasmani Dan Olahraga (JPJO), 6(2), 145–153. https://doi.org/10.31539/jpjo.v6i2.6031
Ivankova, N. V., Creswell, J. W., & Stick, S. L. (2006). Using mixed-methods sequential explanatory de-sign: From theory to practice. Field Methods, 18(1), 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05282260
Junaid, K. A., & Fellowes, S. (2006). Gender differences in the attainment of motor skills on the move-ment assessment battery for children. Physical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics, 26(1–2), 5–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/J006v26n01_02
Koolwijk, P., Hoeboer, J., Mombarg, R., Savelsbergh, G. J. P., & de Vries, S. (2024). Fundamental move-ment skill interventions in young children: A systematic review. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 22(7), 1661–1683. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2023.2210597
Langelaan, B. N., Gaikhorst, L., Smets, W., & Oostdam, R. J. (2024). Differentiating instruction: Un-derstanding the key elements for successful teacher preparation and development. Teaching and Teacher Education, 140, 104464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104464
Magill, R. A. (2011). Motor learning and control: Concepts and applications (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Mahardika, I. M. S., Blegur, J., Berliana, Anaktotoy, J., Boleng, L. M., & Arhesa, S. (2024). Global transfor-mational leadership scale: Cross-cultural adaptation of Indonesian sports science student con-text. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 13(5), 3068–3080. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v13i5.29122
Moreno-Briseño, P., Díaz, R., Campos-Romo, A., & Fernandez-Ruiz, J. (2010). Sex-related differences in motor learning and performance. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 6(1), 74. https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-6-74
Mülazımoğlu Ballı, Ö. (2024). The predictive role of age, gender, and body mass index on motor profi-ciency of preschool children. Cultura, Ciencia y Deporte, 19(62), 2180. https://doi.org/10.12800/ccd.v19i62.2180
Naeem, M., Ozuem, W., Howell, K., & Ranfagni, S. (2023). A step-by-step process of thematic analysis to develop a conceptual model in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Met-hods, 22, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231205789
Razali, Blegur, J., Ma’mun, A., Berliana, Mahendra, A., Juliantine, T., Lubis, A. E., Prasetiyo, R., & Tlonaen, Z. A. (2024). Physical education teachers’ experiences in promoting life skills using differentia-ted instruction. Retos, 57, 641–654. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v57.106167
Robinson, L. E., Veldman, S. L. C., Palmer, K. K., & Okely, A. D. (2017). A ball skills intervention in pres-choolers. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 49(11), 2234–2239. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001339
Russo, G., De Matteis, F., Oparina, E., Ceciliani, A., & Bigliassi, M. (2025). Exploring the relationship bet-ween physical activity behavior, sport modality, and higher-order psychosocial skills in chil-dren. Heliyon, 11(13), e43739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e43739
Satrianingsih, B. (2024). Profile of motor skills of elementary school students. International Sport Edelweiss Journal, 1(2), 42–49. https://doi.org/10.69543/j1qz6p34
Schober, P., Boer, C., & Schwarte, L. A. (2018). Correlation coefficients: Appropriate use and interpreta-tion. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 126(5), 1763–1768. https://doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000002864
Sutapa, P., Pratama, K. W., Rosly, M. M., Ali, S. K. S., & Karakauki, M. (2021). Improving motor skills in early childhood through goal-oriented play activity. Children, 8(11), 994. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8110994
Tomlinson, C. A. (2014). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners (2nd ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Ulrich, D. A. (1985). Test of gross motor development. PRO-ED, Inc.
Webster, E. K., Martin, C. K., & Staiano, A. E. (2019). Fundamental motor skills, screen-time, and physi-cal activity in preschoolers. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 8(2), 114–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2018.11.006
Wick, K., Leeger-Aschmann, C. S., Monn, N. D., Radtke, T., Ott, L. V., Rebholz, C. E., Cruz, S., Gerber, N., Schmutz, E. A., Puder, J. J., Munsch, S., Kakebeeke, T. H., Jenni, O. G., Granacher, U., & Kriemler, S. (2017). Interventions to promote fundamental movement skills in childcare and kindergarten: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 47(10), 2045–2068. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0723-1
Yang, Y., Mao, X., Li, W., Wang, B., & Fan, L. (2025). A meta-analysis of the effect of physical activity programs on fundamental movement skills in 3–7-year-old children. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1489141. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1489141
Zheng, Y., Ye, W., Korivi, M., Liu, Y., & Hong, F. (2022). Gender differences in fundamental motor skills proficiency in children aged 3–6 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(14), 8318. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148318
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Razali Razali, Sofyan Sofyan, Syamsulrizal Syamsulrizal, Jusuf Blegur, Myrza Akbari, Fachrizal Ambia, Jul Fajrial
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
