Method: Participants were 271 grade 3 children (Mage=8y8m; boys=46%) from eight schools. The Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2) was used to assess the locomotor skills (run, jump, hop, slide, gallop, and leap) and object control skills (throw, roll, kick, strike, catch, and bounce) of the children. Each class was divided into four small groups (~ 5 children) and these groups rotated around four stations across two physical education lessons during the 2013-14 school year. The behavioural components of each motor skill were scored from video; 0 or 1 depending on whether the component was completed correctly. The range of possible scores for each TGMD-2 subscale was 0 to 48. Perceptions of physical competence were assessed using the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC, score range 6 to 24).
Analysis/Results: Mean scores for the dependent measures locomotor skills, object control skills, and perceptions of competence for girls were: 32.0 ± 4.6, 29.5 ± 5.6, and 20.8 ± 3.2, respectively; and for boys were: 30.9 ± 5.6, 35.8 ± 6.4, and 20.8 ± 3.0. A multivariate analysis of variance with sex as a factor and age in months as a covariate showed a significant overall effect for the dependent measures (Wilk’s lambda =.65 with F(3, 266) = 48.1, p < .001). Univariate F-tests revealed only one significant difference, boys’ object control skills were significantly higher than girls’ (p < .001). One modest relationship between object control skills and perceptions of competence was identified for boys (r = .24, p = .007).
Conclusions: Contrary to theory, mean perceptions of competence of both boys and girls were high in grade 3 (nearly 21 on a 24 point scale). This may account for the modest relationship between boys’ object control skills and perceptions of competence and the lack of relationship between skills and perceptions for girls. Our data suggests that the theoretical decline in self-perceptions may occur later than 8-9 years of age.