ABSTRACT
The study explored the influence of location and gender on performance
of some selected motor skills among Secondary Schools in Awka South Local
Government Area. The population of the study involved all male and female
Secondary Schools students in urban and rural areas of Awka South Local
Government, Anambra State. Four schools out of eighteen schools were used for
the study. Two schools are from Urban while the other two are from rural. Two
hundred subjects made of hundred boys and hundred girls were used for the
study. Multi-phase sampling was adopted in selection. The study posed three
research questions and three hypotheses. Data were collected with a battery of
tests developed by Barrow (1987). Tests used for the study include: 50 metres
dash, standing broad jump and 10 metres shuttle run. Stop watches and a
measuring tape were used to collect data with the help of research assistants.
t-test was used in testing the null hypotheses. The result revealed that urban
male students performed better than rural male students in 50 metres dash, and
10 metres shuttle run, but rural male excelled in standing broad jump. Rural
female students performed better than urban female students in 50 metres dash
and 10 metres shuttle run while urban female students excelled in standing
broad jump. Furthermore, male students performed better than female student in
standing broad jump and 10 metres shuttle run and female students excelled only
in 50 metres dash. The study provided the coaches and physical educators
opportunity to create awareness of the importance and value of physical
education in rural areas. One of the recommendations was that placement of
students and staff in secondary schools should be done randomly so that there
will be an even distribution of both high and low achievers in all schools.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background
of the Study
Movement is a
fundamental characteristic of human behaviour. It is also an act of moving part
of the body; example hand. It is an act of moving from one place to another,
for instance enemy troop movement and to allow free movement of goods and
services. Thomas and Thomas (2000) observed that motor behaviour is the
subdiscipline of kinesiology that focuses on how motor skills are acquired and
controlled across the lifespan. Even before birth, the infant starts his
movement by pushing and kicking while in the womb. Siendentop (2007) supported
by defining motor skill as muscular actions directed toward the achievement of
a goal, resulting from experiences or practice. Cratty (1973) stated that human
activities which required the coordination of these muscular movements for
instance, reaching, grasping and moving objects with eyes are acquired very
early but appeared to be determined largely by response pattern that are
innate. In buttressing this, Bucher (1979) outlined a number of factors that
are necessary for effective motor skill. These include age, gender,
environment, physical fitness and others.
Singer (975)
classified some motor skills as fine and others as gross. Gross involve the
large muscle groups a great deal activity that takes place in the large muscles
are sport skills activities of all kinds such as handball, athletics, lifting.
While fine involve those in which smaller muscles are employed, examples are
singing, typing, writing sentences and stories. Matthew (1978) asserted that
motor performance tasks are further classified into continuous task versus
discrete tasks. Continuous task is one that requires the individual to make
continuous adjustments and correction to a combination of stimuli; while discrete
task is the measurement of reaction time. Another performance task is
close-loop versus open-looped. A closed-loop skill is one that depends upon
internal feedback from the muscles as guiding stimuli. Examples are performed
with the eyes closed, test in the air while blindfolded would constitute a
closed-loop skill. The rapid free-hand drawing of a large circle on the
blackboard comes close to bring a closed-loop skill since the movement is not
adjusted of the line as it is being drawn. Open-loop characteristics responses
are influenced to a greater or lesser degree by external
stimuli. The printing of letters is obviously largely influenced by the stimuli
provided by the lines as they appear on paper. Catching a ball, jumping a
hurdle, making a dive are athletic skills that are obviously dependent upon the
presence of external stimulation for their proper and precise performance.
Henley and East (1982)
asserted that because of the differences between men and women in body
structure and physiological capacities, women often cannot perform at the same
level of strength, muscular endurance. Environment in this setting is
categorized as rural and urban. The rural environment is the smaller country
side area. The urban area on the other hand means belonging or relating to a
town or city (British Broadcasting Company, English Dictionary, 1992) and
Standard English Dictionary, 1990). In the rural schools, there is persistence
of inequality in educational opportunities of which physical education
programme is one. There are very poor records of developing athletes in some of
these rural schools. In urban schools, there are modern amenities such as nice
laboratory, library, sports equipment, sports facilities and many others.
Hence, the students in urban schools may be more opportune in a way
than those in the rural schools (Aigbomian, 1997).
Consequently, school
environment whether rural or urban may affect academics as well motor skill
performance. Bidwell and Kasarda (1995) stated that the environment has a
substantial influence on the school programme. However, the question of
ascertaining the differential influence of the rural on motor skill performance
remains an unfinished task. It remains beneficial to study on the influence of
gender and location on the performance of selected motor skills among secondary
school students in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Statement
of the Problem
Sports performance
involves the learning of motor skills. Hence, for the players to be proficient
in different fields of sports, they must learn some necessary skills in each of
the sport of their interest. Furthermore, the researcher observation in
teaching some movement exploration and body mechanics exercise to primary school
pupils reveals that boys have more desire to learn faster and perform better
than girls. A lot of factors were observed that contributed to having desire or not to learn and perform
motor skills for these primary school pupils. These include physical fitness,
body structure, age, location of the school and gender. Based on these
phenomena the researcher is forced to carry out the research on secondary
school students. Specifically the study tried to investigate the effect of the
gender and location on motor skill performances of activities involving speed,
power and agility. There are various activities involving speed, power and
agility. They include throw for distance, zigzag or dodging run, standing broad
jump, 50 meter dash, hop in and out of hoops, 10 meters shuttle run. Even
though we can test all but the researcher wish to use 50 meters dash, standing
broad jump and 10 meters shuttle run because the students are using them
frequently.
Purpose
of the Study
The main purpose of
the study was to find out the influence of gender and location on performance
of selected motor skills, such as 50 metres dash, standing broad jump (SBJ) and
10 metres shuttle run. Specifically, the researcher intended to:
1.
Find out the girls performances in 50 metres
dash, standing broad jump, 10 metres shuttle run in urban and rural areas
2.
Find out the boys performances in 50 metres
dash, standing broad jump and 10 metres shuttle run in urban and rural areas.
3.
Determine the differences in the boys and
girls performances in 50 metres dash, standing broad jump and 10 metres shuttle
run.
Significance
of the Study
This study is
significant in many ways: for instance, it would enable the physical educators
and coaches to identify how urban and rural areas influence performance in
selected motor skills.
The study would aid
the coaches, physical educators and researchers to determine differences of
boys and girls on performance of selected motor skill. It would assist the
coaches and physical education instructors to have the knowledge of the effect
of gender on the performance of selected motor skill. The result of the finding
would provide guides for selection of appropriate motor skills so as to enhance the standard of sport performance
in both rural and urban areas. The study will help in creating awareness to the
coaches, physical education instructors games-metres and mistresses on the
importance and value of motor skill performance in the rural areas. This study
would also help school principals in rural areas in soliciting for government
aid in providing needed equipment for motor skill learning. Finally, this
research work would also serve as a guide, resource material, and reference material
to other students who may wish to undertake a research on this very topic or
related topic in future.
Scope
of the Study
There are various
factors responsible for motor skills performance, such as, location, gender,
maturation, age, heredity, motivation, and physical fitness. Among these
factors, the study focuses on location and gender. In addition, there are so
many secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area. The study
concentrated on two secondary schools from urban and two from rural areas. They
include: St John of God Awka, Igwebuike Grammar School, Awka, Girls’
Secondary School, Umuawulu and Emeka Aghasili Secondary School, Nise.
Research
Questions
1)
Is there a difference in the influence of
location on girls performance in 50 meters dash, standing broad jump and 10
meters shuttle run?
2)
Is there a difference in the influence of
location on boys performance in 50 meters dash, standing broad jump and 10
meters shuttle run?
3)
Are there differences in boys and girls
performances in 50 meters dash, standing broad jump and 10 meters shuttle run?
Hypotheses
1)
There is no significant difference in girls
performances in 50 meters dash, standing broad jump and 10 meters shuttle run
due to influence of location of the school and gender.
2)
The boys performances in 50meters dash,
standing broad jump and 10meters shuttle run do not differ significantly
due to effect of location of the school and gender.
3)
There is no significant difference in 50meters
dash, standing broad jump and 10meters shuttle run due to location of school
and gender.
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Item Type: Project Material | Size: 89 pages | Chapters: 1-5
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