engleski

The differences in motor skills in second and third graders in primary schools in Mostar and Zagreb

The aim of this study was to determine the differences in motor skills between second and third grade primary school boys and girls living in two different geographical regions. The differences in motor skills were investigated on the sample of 123 second and third grade primary school pupils from Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Zagreb in the Republic of Croatia. The study used 7 tests to assess the pupils' motor abilities and 1 test for the assessment of pupils' functional abilities. Discriminant analysis confirmed the significance of differences in the system of variables in the subsamples defined on the basis of geographical region in the subsample of boys. It is evident that the boys from Zagreb had somewhat better developed motor skills than boys from Mostar. In the subsample of girls, discriminant analysis did not confirm significant differences in motor skills. The results of discriminant analysis showed that boys who live and attend school in the city of Zagreb had significantly better results on the flexibility assessment test. Based on the obtained results it can be concluded that there were no significant differences in motor skills between second and third grade girls from Zagreb and Mostar, whereas significant differences in motor skills were confirmed for boys. The reason that no significant differences were found in girls may be in the fact that the research was conducted on primary school male and female pupils aged between 8 and 9 when significant differences in motor and functional abilities are not expected. The existence of differences in boys can, among other, be attributed to a different way of life and movement habits of boys from Zagreb and certainly greater number of facilities providing opportunities for physical exercise.

motor skills; physical activity; pupils; primary education

nije evidentirano