Analysis of motor competence in elementary school students aged 7 to 12 years: comparison between students in the highlands and lowlands in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v79.118022Keywords:
motor coordination, school location, elementary school students, motor competenceAbstract
Introduction: Motor competence should be optimized at an early age. At this level, students have more opportunities to explore and develop their motor coordination through the PE subject and extracurricular activities. However, studies indicate that many Indonesian teachers are unaware of this potential due to limited access to measurement instruments and methods. Additionally, motor development may differ depending on where the students live.
Objective: This study analyzed motor competence among 7-12-year-old individuals attending elementary school and compared those residing in lowland and highland areas.
Methodology: The study employed a cross-sectional design involving 360 elementary school samples (189 males and 171 females) from various cities and regencies in West Sumatra. Data were analyzed by evaluating motor competence using the Körperkoordinations Test für Kinder (KTK3+EHC), which included balance beam tests, lateral movements, side jumps, and hand-eye coordination tasks. This analysis was facilitated by IBM SPSS version 25.
Discussion: Results revealed that the overall mean motor competence scores for students in West Sumatra were 14.45 (SD = 3.4). Based on residence, students’ mean scores in lowland areas were lower (M = 13.81, SD = 2.9) than those in the highland (M = 15.17, SD = 3.8). This difference was statistically significant not only between lowland and highland areas (p<0.000), but also between male (p<0.000) and female students (p<0.030).
Conclusion: the findings indicate that motor competence is higher among highland students than those in lowland areas. The difference also applied across gender, with males performing better than females in both regions.
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