Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under CC BY-NC 4.0 license

Authors

1 Department of Motor behavior and sport psychology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran.

2 Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Department of Motor behavior and sport psychology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University ,Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jsmdl.2024.370385.1761

Abstract

Introduction: Movement is a way of social communication of the child with other people in his life. By moving into the environment, the child gains various experiences, although his skills are not yet developed. This research was conducted with the aim of the effect of aquatic training on the development of social-emotional and gross motor skills of children aged 3 to 6 years.

Methods: The research was quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The statistical population was made up of female preschool children in Faridan city, Isfahan province. 23 people were selected based on the available method and were randomly divided into two experimental groups (n=12) and control (n=11). The experimental group performed 16 sessions of 50-minute training in water for 8 weeks, and the control group performed their activities according to the original programs. Both groups performed the third version of the Ulrich Gross Motor Skills Development Test and the Social Emotional Skills Questionnaire of Gresham and Elliott (1990) under completely similar conditions in the pre-test and post-test. Data analysis was done by multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS 26 (p=0.05).

Results: The results showed that the aquatic training program significantly led to the development of gross skills (locomotor and ball skills) and more social-emotional skills (cooperation, daring, self-control, and responsibility) than the control group (p≤0/05).

Conclusion: An opportunity can be provided for the development of social-emotional and gross motor skills of preschool girls through an educational program of playing in the water.

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