Sex Differences in Motor Competence of Children in Kindergarten and Grade One: Considering Parent and Teacher Views
Abstract
Purpose: Understanding where deficits exist in young childhood is critical to addressing gaps in motor competence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if there were differences in motor competence between males and females, as well as to examine parent and teacher perspectives of the children’s motor competence.
Methods: 99 children in kindergarten and grade one had their motor competence assessed using PLAYfun. PLAYparent, and PLAYcoach assessments were completed by parents and teachers to examine their respective perspectives on the children’s motor competence. Sex differences were evaluated using independent t-tests.
Results: Males had significantly greater motor competence for object control motor skills, while females had greater locomotor motor competence. Sex differences were not perceived by parents or teachers.
Conclusion: Sex differences in motor competence were found; however, it appears that parents and teachers do not perceive any differences. Without intervention at an early age, sex differences may persist as children age.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) after publication, while providing bibliographic details that credit PHENex (See The Effect of Open Access).
