The effect of basic movement training on motor skills in 4-year-old children

The aim of this research is to examine the impact of fundamental movement training on motor skill development in four-year-old children. The study's population includes 15 children participating in basic movement training at the Haldun Alagaş Sports Complex of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and another 15 children enrolled in basic swimming lessons at the Çekmeköy Sports Complex. These participants are divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group, each consisting of 15 children. The experimental group received fundamental movement training, while the control group was engaged in basic swimming training. To assess the changes in participants' motor skills, the MOBAK-KG (Motorische Basiskompetenzen im Kindergarten) motor skill test was administered both pre- and post-intervention. However, due to the lack of a Turkish adaptation of the scale, a validity and reliability study was initially conducted for the research. A total of 217 participants aged 4 to 6 were involved in this study to examine the validity and reliability of the scale. Data analysis was conducted using the SPSS 26.0 software package. Descriptive statistics, including frequency analysis, means, and standard deviations, were calculated. The normality of the data was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, revealing that the variables of catching, balancing, rolling, and single-leg jumping did not conform to a normal distribution. Consequently, non-parametric tests were used for these variables, specifically employing the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test. For the other variables, parametric tests, specifically the Paired Samples t-test, were used.