The effect of basi̇c gymnastcs exercises appli̇ed to children aged 4-6 on motor performance and visiul percepti̇on

This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of basic gymnastics activities on motor performance and visual perception levels in preschool children aged 4-6 years. The study population consists of a control group of girls (n=17) and boys (n=23) aged 4-6 years attending Erdem Kindergarten in the Selçuklu district of Konya during the 2023-2024 academic year, and an experimental group of girls (n=22) and boys (n=18) aged 4-6 years practicing gymnastics at the Yunus Emre Uyar Gymnastics Sports Hall, affiliated with the Selçuklu Youth and Sports District Directorate, totaling 80 students. A Personal Information Form created by the researcher was used to collect personal data. The 3-6 Year Motor Performance Test, developed by Morris, Atwater Williams, and Wilmore (1980) and adapted by Sevimay in Turkey in 1986, was used to assess motor performances. The tests included standing long jump and balance on one foot. For visual perception levels, the Visual Perception Scale (VPS) developed by Kalkan and Arslan (2015) was utilized. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 27 software, and the normality of the data was tested using the Shapiro-Wilk test, confirming a normal distribution. Differences between independent variables were evaluated using the independent samples t-test, while the analysis of dependent variables was assessed using the paired t-test. For comparisons based on gender, repeated measures ANOVA was employed. As a result of the analyses, it was concluded that the effects of basic gymnastics activities (Experimental Group) on visual perception and motor performance were significant according to the pre-test and post-test results applied to both the group that performed basic gymnastics training and the group that did not. According to the research, although no statistically significant difference was observed in the visual perception results of the group that did not perform basic gymnastics training (Control Group) based on pre-test and post-test values, positive improvements were seen in standing long jump and balance characteristics. When examining gender differences, there was no significant difference in the pre-test and post-test scores of visual perception, standing long jump, and balance variables between girls and boys. In conclusion, when examining the effects of basic gymnastics activities on motor performance and visual perception levels in preschool children aged 4-6 years, it was observed that the group participating in basic gymnastics had a positive effect on visual perception, standing long jump, and balance. In contrast, the control group that did not engage in basic gymnastics activities did not show any significant differences in visual perception levels.