Fundamental Motor Skill Performance of Non-Handicapped and Educable Mentally Impaired Students.
1987; Volume: 22; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1042-9859
Autores Tópico(s)Pasture and Agricultural Systems
ResumoPublic Law 94-142 has specified that all handicapped children must receive appropriate instruction in physical education. Many handicapped children, particularly mildly handicapped children, are placed in regular physical education classes before being assessed to determine what type of P.E. placement is the most appropriate. This study compared qualitative fundamental motor skill performances of 170 non handicapped (NH) and 138 educable mentally impaired (EMI) students. NH students performed significantly better than EMI students on each of seven skills assessed. Further analyses demonstrated that performances of NH and EMI students improved with age, and when gender differences were present, differences were in favor of male students. Introduction ucation, these skills should be included in any motor assessment. Importance of assessing a The Public Law 94-142 definition of special student's fundamental motor skill develop education has included physical education as ment is well documented. Researchers in mo one area of curricula in which all children tor development have reported that mature classified as handicapped must receive approperformance in fundamental motor skills is priate instruction (Federal Register 42, Auprerequisite to learning of more complex gust 23, 1977; 121a-14). The content of skills, games, and activities (Gallahue, 1982; physical education includes development of Wickstrom, 1983). These researchers also re physical and motor fitness, fundamental moported that instructional emphasis should first tor skills and patterns, and skills in aquatics, be placed on qualitative (process) aspects of dance, and individual and group games and fundamental motor skills and then on quan sports (including intramural and lifetime titative (product) development of these skills sports), (Federal Register 42, August 23, (Gallahue, 1982; Wickstrom, 1983). Quali 1977; 42474-98). tative aspects of a skill refer to factors such as To comply with PL 94-142, students who smoothness, timing and range of motion are handicapped should be assessed prior to through which students move their bodies being placed in a physical education program when performing a skill. For example, one (Kalakian & Eichstaedt, 1982; Wessel & Kelly, component of the mature overhand throw re 1986). Evidence suggests, however, that moquires that students step forward with the foot tor skills assessment often takes place after opposite their throwing arm. Quantitative as students are placed in special education propects of a skill refer to factors such as how grams (Broadhead& Church, 1983; Sherrill, far students threw the ball, or how fast stu 1980), or that some students who are handidents ran. capped are automatically placed in regular Ages at which children demonstrate mature physical education classes without being asfundamental motor skills vary with skills and sessed (Kalakian & Eichstaedt, 1982; Mcindividual children (Branta, Haubenstricker, Clenaghan, 1981; Sherrill, 1981). The fol& Seefeldt, 1984; Gallahue, 1982; Hauben lowing sections of this introduction address Strieker & Seefeldt, 1974; Rarick, 1973; See one component of what should be included feldt, 1975; Wickstrom, 1983). Children who in motor skills assessments, and then discuss are non-handicapped (NH) generally are me the need to assess children who are classified chanically efficient and coordinated in these as educable mentally impaired (EMI). skills by early elementary school years (Gal Because fundamental motor skills (e.g., lahue, 1982; Seefeldt, Haubenstricker, & throwing, running, catching, jumping) are inReuschlein, 1974). eluded in the above definition of physical edTwo principles should be understood rel Fundamental Motor / 197 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.57 on Fri, 09 Sep 2016 04:20:10 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms ative to development of fundamental motor cation classes. This study was conducted to skills in young NH children. Research conevaluate qualitative fundamental motor skill ducted on a wide range of fundamental motor performances of EMI students. Specifically, skills indicates that performance generally to compare qualitative fundamental motor improves with age (Branta et al., 1984; Esskill performances of elementary-aged stu penschade & Eckert, 1980; Govatos, 1959; dents classified as EMI or NH, and to deter Kane 8c Meredith, 1952; Seils, 1951). Also mine if motor development principles related when gender differences in the development to improvement with age and gender apply of fundamental motor skills are present, it is to students who are EMI. usually in favor of male students (Branta et al., 1984; Espenschade 8c Eckert, 1980; GovMethod atos, 1959; Kane& Meredith, 1952; Latchaw, 1954; Milne, Seefeldt & Reuschlein, 1976; Rarick, 1981). Minimal research concerned Subjects Instrumentation with these principles has been conducted using Eighty-nine male and 81 female students who subjects who were handicapped. were NH, and 87 male and 51 female students Researchers, comparing motor perforwho were EMI were assessed on seven fun mance of students who were EMI with studamental motor skills. All subjects were in the dents who were NH, have consistently reage range 6 years 0 months to 9 years 11 ported lower levels of motor performance for months. The EMI subjects were classified in students who were EMI (Dobbins 8c Rarick, accordance with Michigan Special Education 1977; Francis & Rarick, 1959; Howe, 1959; eligibility requirements (Michigan Depart Londeree & Johnson, 1974; Rarick, Widdop, ment of Education, 1983a). The research 8c Broadhead, 1970; Sengstock, 1966; Turnsample was generated from 13 school districts quist & Marzolf, 1954). Despite this evidence in Southern Michigan that ranged in student of lower motor performance, many EMI stupopulation from 791 to 31,341 students. Both dents have been placed in regular physical edurban and rural cities and towns were sam ucation classes without assessment data that pled. Districts also represented university, in supports or questions such placements dustrial and farming communities. A slight (Kalakian 8c Eichstaedt, 1982; Sherrill, 1981). overrepresentation of black students and a Because intervention programs can eliminate slight underrepresentation of white students or minimize many physical and related emowere in the sample (Michigan Department of tional problems (Arnheim & Sinclair, 1979; Education, 1983b). Hardin & Garcia, 1982; Haubenstricker & Seefeldt, 1974; Johnson & Rubinson, 1983; Seefeldt, 1975; Seefeldt et al., 1974; Smoll, 1974), it is important to identify motor probValidity. The validity processes and criteria lems as early as possible. If problems in a stuwere based on methods outlined in the liter dent's motor skill development are not idenature (Hambleton 8c Novick, 1973; Hamble tified, it is difficult to implement appropriate ton, Swaminathan, Aligina, 8c Coulson, 1978; intervention programs. Martuza, 1977; Popham, 1978; Popham & The studies reported above compared Husek, 1969), and are explained in detail quantitative and not qualitative fundamental elsewhere (Holland, 1986). The independent motor skill performance of students classified ratings of six content area experts were used as EMI or NH. Gallahue, 1982; Wickstrom, to select seven fundamental motor skills (run, 1983 suggested that it was important to place vertical jump, overhand throw, catch, ball emphasis on qualitative skill development bounce, kick and two-hand sidearm strike) prior to quantitative skill development. It is from a pool of 18 fundamental motor skills important to add to the knowledge base comas the skills most essential to learning of more paring performances of EMI students with complex skills, games and activities. Based on NH students, and to question practices of a review of literature, each skill was divided placing EMI students who were not assessed into four observable, qualitative components, prior to placement in regular physical eduThese components represented mature levels 198 / Education and Training in Mental Retardation-September 1987 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.57 on Fri, 09 Sep 2016 04:20:10 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms of motor skill performance. Independent ratTABLE 1 ings and written comments from six expert ...... „ _ . .... ,r Inter-Rater Agreement Reliability Coefficients raters were utilized to revise and renne com_
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