Generalist vs physical education specialist elementary school teacher: do teacher characteristics matter?

Ana  Gerovac; Arunas Emeljanovas; Tanja Petrusic; Dario Novak

doi:10.52165/kinsi.31.1.84-99

Authors

Ana Gerovac ernandin Frankopan Gymnasium, Ogulin, Croatia
Arunas Emeljanovas Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
Tanja Petrusic Faculty of Education,University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Sloveni
Dario Novak Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52165/kinsi.31.1.84-99

Keywords:

motor skill acquisition, kinesiology, physical education, primary school, pedagogical strategies

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of motor skill development programs delivered by kinesiologists and generalist teachers in elementary school. Methods: A quasiexperimental design was used in which 79 primary school students aged 9 to 11 years participated. The participants were divided into a control group (n=36) taught by generalist teachers and an experimental group (n=43) taught by kinesiologists. Both groups were assessed on their abilities in five motor skills: forward roll, backward roll, 40-meter sprint, squat and hip hinge. The assessments were conducted at baseline and after a three-month intervention period. Results: In the experimental group, led by kinesiologists, there were statistically significant improvements in all the motor skills assessed. Scores for the 40-metre sprint increased from 3.60 to 4.01, for squats from 3.63 to 4.12, for backward rolls from 3.13 to 3.68, for forward rolls from 3.36 to 3.90, and for hips from 3.09 to 3.85 (all p<0.01). In the control group, which was taught by generalist teachers, only the 40-metre sprint improved significantly (from 3.49 to 3.85, p=0.01). Discussion: The results suggest that the specialized training and techniques of kinesiologists are more effective in promoting motor skill acquisition in primary school students than traditional methods used by generalist teachers. This emphasizes the potential for integrating kinesiologists into school physical education. Conclusions: Integrating kinesiologists into the physical education curriculum significantly enhances motor skill acquisition and argues for a reevaluation of current educational strategies to include professional kinesiology expertise.

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