Effect of game-based motor coordination (GBMC) on enhancing positive experiences for early talent development in primary school

Abstract

Pedagogy in physical education (PE) has traditionally been characterized by drill-style teaching. While this traditional approach influences the range of skills developed in school learning contexts, it does not adequately demonstrate students' competencies in applying these skills in complex game situations. Therefore, educators should consider implementing educational theoretical models that support more effective pedagogical approaches. This study investigated the impact of a Game-Based Motor Coordination (GBMC) learning model on improving motor coordination in 9-year-old Indonesian children. A pretest and posttest were used to investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of an 8-week intervention program using the four subtests of the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK3+), where 60 children were tested in two groups, intervention and control, for motor coordination skills. One school was designated as the control group (32 students, aged eight years), and the other was designated as the intervention group (28 students, aged eight years). The scores from each of the four subtests were summed into the KTK total raw score (RS). Children in the intervention group showed significantly higher RS scores than children in the control group (192.54 ± 21.82 vs 187.75 ± 25.10). Boys from the intervention group performed better than children in the control group in moving sideways and eye-hand coordination (p < 0.05). The improvement in the balance beam and jumping sideways was similar between boys and girls. The findings of this study indicate that teachers should use game-based models to enhance enjoyable and efficient learning environments that support practical pedagogical approaches, foster early talent development, and ensure effective learning within the PE domain.