The Significance of Motor Skills Development in Disadvantaged Pupils

Abstract

The aim of the study presented in this paper was to determine the relationship between disadvantaged children’s academic performance and development of their motor skills. First-graders were in the focus of this research, the aim of which was to shed light on the unequal opportunities that children have from the very first day of primary school. The differences in the level of physical development and motor performance between disadvantaged children and other children were compared and analysed. The aim of the research was also to determine, if statistically significant differences were identified, how much the disadvantaged children lagged behind the majority children. Data collection was performed among 15 first-graders attending a primary school in Horgoš who were categorised as disadvantaged by the school psychologist and the pedagogue. The control group measurement was conducted on 18 randomly selected first-graders who were not categorised as disadvantaged. Based on the research results, the quality of physical education, its frequency and adequate content prove to be of high importance for the disadvantaged children. It can be concluded that the development of motor skills contributes not only to the optimal development of basic competences needed for a successful performance at school, but also to the development of the social competences.

Keywords

• motor skills
• living conditions
• physical development
• physical education
• learning