Promotion of basic motor competencies through pupils’ ability, knowledge, and willingness. Effects of an 8-week PE program in 2nd and 4th grade.
Authors: Niederkofler Benjamin , Amesberger Günter 
Published: September 2024

As soon as children want to participate in movement and sports culture, they need basic motor competencies (BMC). Hence, the acquisition of BMC in primary school physical education is a core objective in primary school curricula. However, a considerable part of European pupils do not develop sufficient BMC during primary school years (Wälti et al., 2022). At the same time, Ruin and Stibbe (2014) highlight a lack of concrete methods for implementing competence-oriented curricula. Therefore, methodological considerations and interventions that allow conclusions about the design of PE programs to promote BMC are needed.
This study examined the immediate and long-term effects of an 8-week competence-oriented PE program on 2nd, and 4th graders’ BMC. In the German paradigm of competence (Klieme et al., 2008) promoting competence, understood as ability, knowledge, and willingness is one of the main goals of physical education (Amesberger & Stadler 2014). Aligned with competence paradigm, the PE program targeted motor-activity (ability) through movement-games. It also enhanced self-regulation (willingness) and cognitive engagement (knowledge) by offering movement-tasks of varying difficulty, which student could choose and evaluate using self-assessment forms.
In a quasi-experimental study, 116 2nd, and 110 4th graders were assigned to an intervention and control group and BMC were tested with MOBAK-1-2 respectively MOBAK-3-4 (Herrmann, 2018) pre, post, and follow-up in overall-competence, self-movement and object-movement.
Repeated measured ANCOVAs (sex and BMI as covariates) revealed strong time effects (e.g. η2 = .31, p < .001 for overall-competence in 2nd grade), small to moderate time*group interaction effects (e.g. η2 = .08, p < .01 for object-movement in 2nd grade) and medium group effects (e.g. η2 = .11, p < .001 for self-movement in 2nd grade) for overall-competence, self-movement, and object movement. Merely for object-movement in 4th grade, only a strong time effect (η2 = .24, p < .001) was observed, with no interaction or group effects, indicating that all 4th graders developed object-movement during study period independent of the study group.
The results suggest that a competence-based PE program can promote BMC in primary school. Nevertheless, the lack of the interaction effect on object-movement in 4th grade shows that these effects are not general. Future studies should continue to investigate the effects of competency-oriented PE programs on pupil’s competence development.
References
Amesberger, G., & Stadler, R. (2014). Bildungsstandard für Bewegung und Sport. Handreichung für kompetenzorientiertes Lernen und Lehren [Educational standard for physical activity and sport. Handout for competence-orientated learning and teaching]. Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur (BMUKK).
Herrmann, C. (2018). MOBAK 1-4. Test zur Erfassung Motorischer Basiskompetenzen für die Klassen 1-4 [MOBAK 1-4. Test to assess basic motor skills for grades 1-4]. Hogrefe.
Klieme, E., Hartig, J., & Rauch, D. (2008). The concept of competence in educational contexts. In J. Hartig, E. Klieme, & D. Leutner (Ed.), Assessment of competencies in educational contexts. (pp. 3-22). Hogrefe & Huber.
Ruin, S., & Stibbe, G. (2014). Zum Bildungs- und Erziehungsverständnis in kompetenzorientierten Lehrplänen [On the understanding of education and upbringing in competence-orientated curricula]. Sportunterricht, 63(6), 168-173.
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