Comparison of the Effect of (Child-oriented and Teacher-oriented) Educational Methods on the Motor Skills Development of Children

Background and Purpose: Basic motor skills are the basis of advanced sports skills which should be considered in pre-school and primary school ages. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of (child-oriented and teacher-oriented) educational methods on the motor skills development of children. Method: This was a causal- comparative research. The statistical population of the study consisted of all kindergarten children in Kashan in 2013-2014. In this study, 78 children (49 girls and 29 boys, aged 5-7) were selected from three kindergartens by cluster sampling in two stages. They were divided into two child-centered and teacher-centered groups based on educational approach. In the teacher-centered group, the instructor conducted his activities based on a common and systematic program; whereas in the child-centered group, the center coach performed his training by giving the children the freedom of acting and the opportunity of playing. After observing and assessing the educational method of both methods, the researcher measured the basic motor skills of children. Evaluating and monitoring the motor skills of children continued for 3 weeks; including three one-hour sessions per week. The development of gross-motor -2 test of Ulrich (2000) was used to measure the basic motor skills, and multivariate analysis of variance was used for comparing between the two groups. Results: The results showed that the child-centered learning group was superior to the teacher-oriented group in the development of motor skills, but there was no difference between the two groups in terms of mobility skills (p <0.05). Conclusion: The results of the study showed that in a child-oriented educational approach, conditions are created that increase physical activity and children's play, which ultimately facilitate the development of manipulation skills in pre-school children. As a result, it can be said that adoption of a child-centered teaching method meets children's need for encouragement, opportunity to practice, and play.