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Children
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Un(der)explored Avenues in Motor Development Research
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Un(der)explored Avenues in Motor Development Research

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Pediatric Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2023) | Viewed by 22481

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Matthieu Lenoir

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Guest Editor
Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
Interests: motor control; motor development; talent identification
Prof. Dr. Eva D'Hondt

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium
Interests: motor competence; development and control; kinanthropometry; physical activity; fitness and health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Motor competence (MC) and its development in children and adolescents has attracted a considerable increase in interest from scholars as well as from health and policy workers in the past decade. The dominant focus in this research area is on interrelationships between actual and perceived motor competence, physical fitness, physical activity, and other aspects of health in typically developing children and adolescents, as for example outlined in the conceptual model of Stodden et al. (2008; Robinson et al., 2015; Barnett et al., 2021). Nevertheless, significant gaps in this intriguing area of research remain un(der)explored today. Therefore, this Special Issue is devoted to individual and environmental factors that are still underrepresented in the current body of literature. At the level of individual factors, studies on MC and its development in the early years, in aging adults, in elderly, as well as in clinical samples (e.g., children and adults with severe physical impairments or those suffering from chronic diseases) are welcomed. From an environmental perspective, research on long-term sustainable interventions (in naturalistic settings) and/or research with a focus on different movement contexts (e.g., aquatic skill competence) are examples we are seeking for this Special Issue on un(der)explored avenues in motor developmental research.

Prof. Dr. Matthieu Lenoir
Prof. Dr. Eva D'Hondt
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • motor competence
  • motor development
  • early childhood
  • aging adults
  • special target groups
  • clinical populations
  • aquatic competence
  • sustainable interventions

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3884 KiB  
Article
Face and Content Validity of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence in Young Children
by Liliane De Sousa Morgado, Kristine De Martelaer, Arja Sääkslahti, Kristy Howells, Lisa M. Barnett, Eva D’Hondt, Aldo M. Costa and Boris Jidovtseff
Children 2023, 10(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010002 - 20 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2972
Abstract
An international group of experts have developed a pictorial tool to measure perceived water competence for children aged from 5 to 8 years old: the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence (PSPWC). The aim of the present study was to verify the validity [...] Read more.
An international group of experts have developed a pictorial tool to measure perceived water competence for children aged from 5 to 8 years old: the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Water Competence (PSPWC). The aim of the present study was to verify the validity of this tool. In the first part of the study, 120 children were interviewed to investigate face validity of the PSPWC to ensure that all pictorial items were understandable. In the second part of the study, 13 scientific and/or pedagogical international experts were invited to assess the tool’s content validity via an online survey. Face validity results revealed that children were able to understand and sequence correctly the aquatic situations in 92% of the cases. The average Content Validity Index (CVI) of the PSPWC ranged from 0.88 to 0.95, showing acceptable content validity. Feedback from experts and children resulted in a major improvement of the “exit water” situation and minor improvements concerning some other items. Experts confirmed that the PSPWC was globally appropriate for different countries and cultures, except for the situation “water entry by slide” which was not considered usual practice in some countries. The PSPWC opens up to new fields of research; useful both for the prevention of drowning and for the support of children’s aquatic education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Un(der)explored Avenues in Motor Development Research)
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10 pages, 1174 KiB  
Article
Primary School Pupils: Unequal GMC Developmental Pathways in a Single School Year
by Mark de Niet, Veerle M. A. Wetzels, Johan Pion, Irene R. Faber, Sebastiaan W. J. Platvoet and Marije T. Elferink-Gemser
Children 2022, 9(7), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/children9070964 - 28 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2219
Abstract
Gross motor coordination (GMC) is essential for the development of specific motor skills and long-term participation in physical activities and sports. Group analysis reveals that, on average, children develop these skills gradually; however, how individuals develop GMC is less clear. The main aim [...] Read more.
Gross motor coordination (GMC) is essential for the development of specific motor skills and long-term participation in physical activities and sports. Group analysis reveals that, on average, children develop these skills gradually; however, how individuals develop GMC is less clear. The main aim of this study is to increase the understanding of developmental patterns within one school year, and whether children’s grade, gender, or baseline GMC proficiency are associated with these developmental patterns. In total, 2594 Dutch children aged 6–12 years performed the modified Körper Koordinations Test für Kinder (KTK3+) twice in one school year (autumn and spring). The KTK3+ includes four subtests: walking backwards, moving sideways, jumping sideways, and eye-hand coordination (EHC) test. On average, children developed significantly on all subtests (p < 0.001). At baseline, children in higher grades scored significantly higher than children in lower grades, and children in grades 5 and 6 (age 9 and 10 years) showed most development (raw scores on average, p < 0.001). Boys outperformed girls on EHC across all grades, whereas girls outperformed boys on walking backwards. Nevertheless, both boys and girls developed similarly. Children with lower scores at baseline developed more quickly across all grades. Noteworthy is that 12.1–24% (depending on the test item) of the children scored lower in the spring than in the autumn tests. On average, children develop their GMC; however, we report large differences in their individual trajectories and note that a substantial number did not show a positive GMC development. Further research should examine GMC development with more possible influencing factors as well as over a longer time span to better understand differences in children’s GMC development. This may result in more individualized programs in PE lessons, enabling children to optimally develop their GMC, and better use of GMC assessment tools to monitor children’s development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Un(der)explored Avenues in Motor Development Research)
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16 pages, 307 KiB  
Article
Perceptions and Use of Teaching Strategies for Fundamental Movement Skills in Primary School Physical Education Programs
by Danielle Salters and Sara M. Scharoun Benson
Children 2022, 9(2), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/children9020226 - 8 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3900
Abstract
Fundamental motor/movement skills (FMS) describe the basic skills necessary to complete physical tasks, and are a key aspect of primary school physical education (PE) programs. Yet, specific teaching styles for FMS development have been relatively unexplored. Through a mixed-methods design, experiences and perceptions [...] Read more.
Fundamental motor/movement skills (FMS) describe the basic skills necessary to complete physical tasks, and are a key aspect of primary school physical education (PE) programs. Yet, specific teaching styles for FMS development have been relatively unexplored. Through a mixed-methods design, experiences and perceptions of different PE teachers (preservice, specialist, and generalist) were explored. The Spectrum of Teaching Styles (STS) survey was used to quantify self-reported use of teaching styles that may be used by PE teachers (N = 102). Semi-structured, qualitative interviews with a subset of participants (N = 11) were employed to explore how PE teachers perceive FMS development in PE classes. Combined, the findings highlight a preference for collaborative approaches to teaching and learning in PE, with a specific preference for explicit teaching strategies. Survey results demonstrated a preference for Style B (the practice style), which promotes teacher facilitation of activities and constructive feedback, with opportunities for students to practice skills and receive feedback. Teachers described how confidence with PE content influences the ability to provide lessons that target FMS development; this was reinforced by desires for additional professional development and training. Together, the findings provide a holistic view of teaching styles used in PE for FMS development, and outline a need to explore teaching approaches used by different PE teachers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Un(der)explored Avenues in Motor Development Research)

Review

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17 pages, 511 KiB  
Review
Associations between Fundamental Movement Skills, Physical Fitness, Motor Competency, Physical Activity, and Executive Functions in Pre-School Age Children: A Systematic Review
by Chipo Malambo, Aneta Nová, Cain Clark and Martin Musálek
Children 2022, 9(7), 1059; https://doi.org/10.3390/children9071059 - 15 Jul 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5646
Abstract
Previous empirical research and reviews have suggested that the level of fundamental movement skills (FMS), motor competence (MC), physical activity (PA), or physical fitness seem to directly influence the executive functions (EFs) in school aged children. However, there is no available comprehensive review [...] Read more.
Previous empirical research and reviews have suggested that the level of fundamental movement skills (FMS), motor competence (MC), physical activity (PA), or physical fitness seem to directly influence the executive functions (EFs) in school aged children. However, there is no available comprehensive review of whether the exact links between motor constructs and EFs also exist in the preschool period, even though preschool age is the critical period for developing EFs. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review the evidence on the association between FMS, MC, PA, PF, and EFs. To conduct the systematic review, we utilized searches using Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCO (including SPORTDiscus and Academic Search Premier). We included studies that examined associations between one or all of the four motor constructs with EFs among typically developing children aged 3–6 years, published between January 2010 and October 2021. A total of 15 studies met the inclusion criteria, of which four were randomized controlled trials, three were longitudinal studies, four were cohort studies, and four were cross-sectional studies. We found weak correlations or insufficient evidence for associations between FMS, PA, PF, and EFs. However, there was strong evidence for a moderately strong association between MC and working memory, a moderately weak association between MC and inhibition, and inadequate evidence for a weak to moderate association between MC and shifting. In addition, only half of the included studies were methodologically high-quality studies. Specifically, a questionable design selection of research samples might bias the strength of evaluated associations. We also found significant diversity in the diagnostic tools used for assessing and measuring motor and EFs domains. Our findings support the assumption that motor competencies level, which contains physical capacity and cognitive components, could be significantly linked to EF development from a preschool age. Therefore, we suggest that future studies focus more on clinical trial design, combining movement interventions with different levels of cognitive components, for the purposive development of EFs in preschool-aged children. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Un(der)explored Avenues in Motor Development Research)
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29 pages, 1143 KiB  
Review
Specific Learning Disorder in Children and Adolescents, a Scoping Review on Motor Impairments and Their Potential Impacts
by Mariève Blanchet and Christine Assaiante
Children 2022, 9(6), 892; https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060892 - 15 Jun 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6683
Abstract
Mastering motor skills is important for children to achieve functional mobility and participate in daily activities. Some studies have identified that students with specific learning disorders (SLD) could have impaired motor skills; however, this postulate and the potential impacts remain unclear. The purpose [...] Read more.
Mastering motor skills is important for children to achieve functional mobility and participate in daily activities. Some studies have identified that students with specific learning disorders (SLD) could have impaired motor skills; however, this postulate and the potential impacts remain unclear. The purpose of the scoping review was to evaluate if SLD children have motor impairments and examine the possible factors that could interfere with this assumption. The sub-objective was to investigate the state of knowledge on the lifestyle behavior and physical fitness of participants with SLD and to discuss possible links with their motor skills. Our scoping review included preregistration numbers and the redaction conformed with the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 34 studies published between 1990 and 2022 were identified. The results of our scoping review reflected that students with SLD have poorer motor skills than their peers. These motor impairments are exacerbated by the complexity of the motor activities and the presence of comorbidities. These results support our sub-objective and highlight the link between motor impairments and the sedentary lifestyle behavior of SLDs. This could lead to deteriorating health and motor skills due to a lack of motor experience, meaning that this is not necessarily a comorbidity. This evidence emphasizes the importance of systematic clinical motor assessments and physical activity adaptations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Un(der)explored Avenues in Motor Development Research)
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