The construction and evaluation of a motor educability battery for sixth grade children and its relation to rate of motor learning

Abstract

PROBLEM.-- The study is concerned with the construction and evaluation of a motor educability battery and its relation to rate of motor learning; the motor educability battery is specifically established for sixth grade boys and girls, ages 11 and 12 years. PURPOSES.-- The purposes of the study are: 1. To formulate a battery of motor skills to be used to measure rate of motor learning (criterion). 2. To formulate a motor educability battery using rate of motor learning as the criterion. 3. To compare existing batteries of motor educability with the criterion. 4. To conpare Teacher Rating of motor educability with the criterion. 5. To compare Intelligence with the criterion. 6. To determine any significant differences between rate of motor learning of boys and rate of motor learning of girls. METHOD.-- From 37 motor skills, four were selected: 1) Lacrosse Throw and Catch Motor Skill, 2) Cup-Catch Motor Skill, 3) Balance Board Motor Skill, and 4) Backward Stilt Walk Motor Skill. In measuring rate of motor learning, an attempt was made to start from a practical zero point of experience in the motor skills. Participants who had prior practice or related experience on any of the four selected motor skills were dropped from the study. The motor skill learning for each of the four skills was measured from initial experience to its completion, the score for each skill being the number of trials neceswary for its successfUl completion. The score on each of the four skills for each subject was combined into a Gross Motor Learning Score; this score was the criterion against which the motor educability test items were compared. From 88 motor educability test items collected, twenty-five items with the highest correlation coefficients with the Gross Motor Learning Score were selected to form the Preliminary Motor Educability Battery. By means of statistical analysis, seven of these items were chosen to form the final battery of motor educability (Thornton Battery). By means of statistical analysis, the existing nine motor educability batteries, Teacher Rating of motor educability, and Intelligence were compared with the Gross Motor Learning Score (criterion). Differences in motor learning rates of boys and of girls were also studied. [TRUNCATED]