Structure of Motor Abilities of Pre-School Children before and after Kinesiology Treatment

Abstract

The research included the sample of 114 pre-school children aged 6 and 7, with average values of height (TV=123.23 cm ± 5.43) and weight (TT=24.53 kg ± 2.71). The children were divided into two groups: (E) experimental group (n=55), which had an additional programme of kinesiology activities lasting for 12 weeks, and (K) control group (n=59), which, apart from regular activities in physical education classes in the kindergarten did not have a programme of kinesiology activities. The aim of the research was to determine the latent structure of motor abilities before and after the application of kinesiology activities, and to determine the compatibility of factor saturation. Correlation was performed by Pearson correlation coefficient, and determination of the structure of motor activities was performed by factor analysis and by the method of principal components with bent promax rotation of isolated principal components. The Tucker index of saturation factor was used for determining the compatibility of isolated factors. Research results indicate that both in the initial and the final measurements of both tested groups, a two-dimensional structure of motor abilities was determined, consisting of coordination and strength, which could most appropriately be defined as one, general motor factor. The congruence between the isolated factors in E and K groups gained in the initial and final measurements shows that there are no differences in the structure of isolated factors. It can be concluded that motor functioning of children is still under the mechanism of structuring movement, so after the application of kinesiology activities the same factors remained, and quality changes in the structure of motor abilities have not been detected in the tested age.