COGNITIVE COMPETENCE OF A CHILD IN PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE IN THE CONTEXT OF GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

Ludmila Miklánková
Assoc. Prof. Department of Primary and Pre-primary Education, Palacký University in Olomouc, CZECH REPUBLIC, ludmila.miklankova@upol.cz

Abstract

The influence of fine and gross motor development on cognitive abilities continues in both pre-school and younger school age. Complex researches confirm the existence of a positive relationship between the amount of physical activity, cognitive abilities and academic achievement. The spectrum and level of motor skills are positively correlated with cognitive functions and academic achievement, so it is important to focus on developing basic motor skills in children. The aim of the research is to assess the relationship between the level of gross motor skills and the level of cognitive competence in children who undergo the compulsory school attendance. The research was conducted as part of the GF_PdF_2019_0003 project. The research group consisted of 200 primary school aged children - 9.87 ± 0.65 year old. The Ethics Committee approval of the author's department was obtained for the research. The participation of the child in the research was completely voluntary, anonymous, free of charge and with the possibility to withdraw from the research anytime. To assess the level of cognitive abilities, a Cognitive Skills Test (TKS) was used to diagnose three areas: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal skills. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 was used to diagnose the level of gross motor skills. It is focused on the determination of locomotor and object control skills as components of human’s gross motor skills. The correlation of the relationship between cognitive abilities and gross motor levels was evaluated at p≤0.05. It is necessary to present the results of the research in the given field in professional journals and to apply it in the practice of primary school teachers.

Keywords: gross motor skills, cognitive abilities, elementary school