Effect of specially programmed physical and health education on motor fitness of seven-year-old school children

Abstract

The efficacy of specially programmed physical and health education on the motor development of first-grade pupils was analyzed in a sample of 633 children aged 7 years. Pupils have been divided into control group consisting of 140 boys and 137 girls attending standard program of physical and health education, and in experimental group consisting of 184 boys and 172 girls attending specially programmed physical and health education. A battery of 12 motor tests has been used on two occasions separated by nine-month interval. Analysis of time-changes (by using the model of differences) pointed to the significantly greater quantitative changes in experimental group compared with control group of children. In boys, the changes are obtained for the tests of aerobic endurance, static strength, flexibility, speed, explosive strength of sprint and throw type, and equilibrium, and in girls, they are for aerobic endurance, static strength, explosive strength of throw and sprint type, flexibility, repetitive strength, speed, and equilibrium.