Date of Graduation

1999

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This study examined the effects of participation in a parent-involved movement instruction program, on the skill acquisition, concept formation, and movement practice behavior of preschool children. The research questions asked “What is the effect”: (1) of a nine week instructional program that emphasizes motor skills and movement concepts for parents and their preschool children on motor skill acquisition and movement concept demonstration of preschool children? (2) that parents as teachers have on the motor skill acquisition and movement concept formation of preschool children? (3) of enrolling in a nine-week movement program more than once on the acquisition of motor skills and movement concepts of preschool children? (4) that participating in a nine-week movement program for parents and their preschool child on the amount of time spent outside of class by the parent/child dyad participating in physical activity? Thirty-nine subjects were enrolled in either a parent-attended preschool movement program or an alternative program that did not include parents. The treatment was one forty-five minute lesson per week for nine weeks. The dependent variables were Developmental Level of Motor Skills, Movement Concept Formation, and Movement Practice Behavior. The independent variables were extent of participation by parents as teachers of Motor Skills, extent of participation by parents as teachers of Movement Concepts, and Testing Occasion. The results revealed that: Children in the parent-attended program demonstrated a greater increase in mean gain score in of all three motor skills as well as greater demonstration ability of movement concepts than did the children in the alternative program without parents. Significant gains were found for jump, and pathways. Trends were found for stability and levels. Children whose parents were assigned to actively teach their children did not significantly outperform children whose parents were assigned to be observers. Children who were enrolled in a nine-week movement program more than once did not significantly outperform children who enrolled only once. Finally, participation in a movement program by a parent/child dyad did not significantly increase the amount of time the dyad spent participating in physical activities outside of class.

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