The effect of outdoor physical activity-based learning on gross motor skills and concentration among kindergarten children
Fundamental motor skills are essential for children's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. Balanced motor development and concentration support optimal growth and learning. This study examined the effectiveness of outdoor physical activity-based learning in improving gross motor skills and concentration among kindergarten children at the Development School of Padang State University. This quasi-experimental study employed a two-group pretest-posttest design involving 40 kindergarten children selected through purposive sampling and divided into a control group (n = 20) and an experimental group (n = 20). The experimental group participated in 16 outdoor physical activity sessions over about five weeks, while the control group followed the standard school curriculum, including routine gymnastics and regular physical activity. Gross motor skills were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2), and concentration was measured using the Sequential Number Search Test (SNST). Data were analyzed using a two-way mixed analysis of variance (mixed ANOVA). The analysis showed a significant Time × Group interaction for gross motor skills, F(1, 38) = 28.605, p < .001, and concentration, F(1, 38) = 5.490, p = .024, indicating that improvements from pretest to posttest differed significantly between the control and experimental groups. These findings indicate that structured outdoor physical activity-based learning can effectively support the development of gross motor skills and concentration among kindergarten children.
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