Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Educational Studies: Hums, Science, Tech and Voc

This study examined the influence of a nine-week direct instruction and mastery motivational climate program on the object control (OC) skills of children considered disadvantaged. Seventy-seven participants were randomly selected from Head Start classes. A Pretest-Posttest Randomized Groups design was used (Thomas & Nelson, 1996). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Intervention Group 1 (n = 27) received direct instruction; Intervention Group 2 (n = 24) received mastery motivational climate, and; the Comparison Group (n = 26) received no intervention. Both Intervention Groups 1 and 2 participated in a nine-week OC skill intervention with a total 18, 30-minute sessions. Participants were tested before and after the intervention using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (Ulrich, 2000). At the pretest, Intervention Group 1 (35th percentile), Intervention Group 2 (36th percentile), and the Comparison Group (32nd percentile) demonstrated average OC skills and no significant Group differences in OC skills (F,[2,71]=46, p=.63). However, there was a significant Gender effect for pretest OC skills (F,[1, 71] =13.18, p<.001) with boys scoring higher then girls. A 3 Group X 2 Time X 2 Gender ANOVA with repeated measures revealed a significant Group X Time interaction (F[2,71]=69.92, p<.0001, η2=.66). Post-hoc Tukey HSD tests revealed that Intervention Group 1 (p<.0001) and Intervention Group 2 (p<.0001) were significantly better than the Comparison Group from pre to post-intervention but not different from each other (p=.99). There was a significant Time effect (F[1,71]=323.45, p<.0001, η2=.820). Overall, groups improved from pre-to post-intervention. Follow up paired sample t-tests revealed that both Intervention Group 1 (t[26]=-13.76, p<.001 [2-tailed]) and Intervention Group 2 (t[23]=-13.41, p<.001 [2-tailed]) significantly improved from pre to-post intervention. In contrast, the Comparison Group did not improve from pre-to post-intervention (t[ (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jacqueline Goodway-Shiebler (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Early Childhood

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Kinesiology

Many of the nation's children do not meet the recommendations for physical activity for health. The national physical activity plan identifies schools as a primary institution that can help promote moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children with recess being one point in the school day where children can choose whether they are active or sedentary. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the underlying mechanisms that drive students' self-selected physical activity and sedentary behavior (SB) on the playground. A secondary purpose was to implement the “Aim to Play” physical activity intervention to promote MVPA in children, although this part of the research plan could not be implemented due to the closing of public schools due to Covid19. Social cognitive theory and Stodden et al.'s (2008) developmental trajectory model guided the selection of variables of interest. A total of 52 third-grade (28 boys, 24girls) and 67 fourth-grade (41 boys, 26 girls) students were recruited from two suburban schools in a Midwestern city. Data were collected at three time-points: (a) percentage of time in MVPA and SB during the school day and recess; (b) body mass index (BMI); (c) fundamental motor skill (FMS) competence; (d) perceived motor competence, (e) perceived peer acceptance, (f) knowledge of playground activity, (g) activity types on the playground, (h) social group size on the playground, and (i) social interactions on the playground. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, multilinear regressions, analyses of variance (ANOVAs), Kruskal-Wallis tests, and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) were conducted to test the hypotheses. The results revealed that the third and fourth graders spent approximately 60% of their school time in SB and a wide range of time (2-44%) in MVPA during recess. The participants demonstrated low levels of FMS competence while perceiving themselves to be “pretty good” (approximately 3.0) in physical competence a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jacqueline Goodway (Advisor); Phillip Ward (Committee Member); Sue Sutherland (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Elementary Education; Kinesiology; Physical Education; Teacher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Kinesiology

The primary purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of an eight-week INDO-SKIP motor skill program on Indonesian preschool children's motor competence and perceived motor competence. A secondary purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of the INDO-SKIP program on Indonesian preschoolers' executive function. Early childhood teachers (n=12) were recruited from four early childhood centers. Classrooms were purposively assigned to INDO-SKIP group (n=6) and control group (n=6), and children (n= 156) were nested into either group. Teachers in the INDO-SKIP group were trained in 9-hour initial workshop on INDO-SKIP. During the workshop, the teachers were assessed to determine the effectiveness of the workshop on teachers' motor development and physical education knowledge. Children in the INDO-SKIP group received 16, 30 minutes session over eight week of INDO-SKIP intervention delivered by teachers, while children in the control group received business as usual condition. All children were pretested and posttested on: 1) motor competence: measured by the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2)-Object control (OC) subscale, and Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2), 2) perceived motor competence: measured by Perceived Physical Competence (PPC) Subscale of the Pictorial Scale for Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children, and the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence (PMSC) for Young Children instrument, and 3) Executive Function: measured by Day and Night (DN) Task, and Head-Toes-Knee-Shoulder (HTKS) Task. Teachers' fidelity on teaching INDO-SKIP was 77.14%, and it was also determined that there were sufficient distinguishing features of the INDO-SKIP intervention differentiating it form the business as usual instruction of the control condition. The impact of the INDO-SKIP intervention on child outcomes was analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA). The influence of teache (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jacqueline Goodway (Advisor) Subjects: Early Childhood Education; Education; Physical Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, EDU Teaching and Learning

The prevalence and effects of lagging or delayed early literacy and motor skill development in children of low-SES backgrounds is a significant issue that can have adverse developmental consequences and affect children's ability to succeed in school (Evans, 2004; NELP, 2008; Stodden et al., 2008). This study examined the impact of the Reading and Motor Program for Preschoolers (RaMPP) on the letter knowledge, initial sound awareness, and fundamental motor skills of Head Start preschool children. RaMPP is an integrated curricula model designed to improve child outcomes in early literacy and fundamental motor skill development. The current study had two primary aims: (a) to determine the extent to which the RaMPP intervention was implemented as designed, and (b) to determine the extent to which the RaMPP intervention impacted the alphabet knowledge, initial sound awareness, and fundamental motor skill development of Head Start preschool children relative to Head Start business-as-usual instruction. The study used a two-group pre-posttest experimental design with three Head Start preschool centers and a total of 10 classrooms and 102 students. Classrooms (and children within classrooms) were randomly assigned to the RaMPP intervention condition (5 classrooms; n = 51) and or business-as-usual control condition (5 classrooms; n = 51). Overall fidelity of the RaMPP intervention was 85.41% and it was also determined that there were sufficient distinguishing features of the RaMPP intervention differentiating it from the business-as-usual instruction of the control condition. The results indicated that the RaMPP intervention was significant for lowercase letters (p = .008) and initial sounds (p = .012) outcomes when controlling for age at pretest with medium effect sizes. Results also revealed that there were significant differences between groups on posttest scores for locomotor (p = .001) and object control skills (p = <.001) with large effect sizes.

Committee: Jacqueline Goodway PhD (Advisor); Adrian Rodgers PhD (Advisor); Laura Justice PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Curriculum Development; Early Childhood Education; Education; Literacy; Pedagogy; Physical Education; Preschool Education; Reading Instruction

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of providing on-going coaching and support to early childhood teachers delivering a motor skill intervention called Teacher-Led Successful Kinesthetic Instruction for Preschoolers (T-SKIP) on the object control (OC) skills of their Head Start preschool students who were disadvantaged. Early childhood teachers (n=10) were recruited from Head Start centers located in a large Midwestern city (n=25). Random assignment of T-SKIP (n=5) and Comparison classes (n=5) occurred at the site level (n=5). The experimental teachers were provided with a six-hour initial workshop on T-SKIP. The teachers were assessed throughout the initial workshop to determine the effectiveness of the workshop on teachers' knowledge. After the initial workshop, teachers implemented T-SKIP to their students. Students (n=122) were nested into either T-SKIP (n=5) or Comparison classes (n=5). All students were pretested and posttested on the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2; Ulrich, 2000) OC subscale to determine object control skill gains. The T-SKIP students received 15, 30 minute T-SKIP sessions over eight weeks while Comparison students received Head Start's everyday curriculum of well-equipped free play. Eighty-one percent of all students scored below the 30th percentile on the OC subscale of the TGMD-2 at the pretest. The T-SKIP students' (n=63) pretest mean was the 21st percentile while the Comparison students' pretest mean was at the 16th percentile. There were no significant between-group differences for OC percentile rank scores at the pretest (p=.236). The teachers (n=5) implemented T-SKIP for eight weeks with an overall fidelity mean of 47%, Level-1 fidelity mean of 59%, and Level-2 fidelity mean of 34%. Comparison teachers (n=5) continued to provide their students with Head Start's everyday curriculum of well-equipped free play. At the posttest, T-SKIP students increased their OC percentile rank to 54% while C (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jacqueline Goodway Ph.D. (Advisor); Susan Sutherland Ph.D. (Advisor); Phillip Ward Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jessica Logan Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Physical Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two motor skill interventions on children's object control skill performance and their perceived motor competence. Children (N=72) were mostly African American (97%) and drawn from two Head Start centers. Children (M age = 48.41 months) were randomly assigned to a motor skill intervention (MSI; n=22), a motor skill family intervention (MSFI; n=25) or a comparison group (n=25). The MSI and MSFI groups received a motor skill program consisting of 16, 30-min. sessions over 8 weeks. The MSFI group also received the addition of a series of parent-child motor activities incorporating 24 sessions over 8 weeks. The Comparison group did not receive any structured motor skill program. Prior to the interventions, children in all groups demonstrated developmental delays in OC skills and had “pretty good” perceptions about their motor competencies. A 3 Group X 2 Gender ANOVA analysis showed a non-significant group and gender differences in OC skill performance and perceived motor competence in groups at pretests. After the 8 week interventions, a 3 Group X 2 Time X 2 Gender of ANOVA with repeated measures was conducted on OC standard scores and perceived motor competence of children. The results indicated a significant Group X Time interaction for OC skills (p = .00) and perceived motor competence (p = .00) showing that Groups differed from pretest to posttest. Three separate contrasts were run to examine where the differences were reported. The MSI and the MSFI groups were significantly different from the Comparison group (p < .017), but both group were not significantly different in OC skills. The MSFI was significantly different (p < .017) from the MSI and the Comparison group in perceived motor competence. A non-significant gender differences was reported within and between the groups (p > .05) from pretest to posttest for both variables. A 3 Group X 2 Time X 2 Gender of ANOVA with repeated measures was also conduct (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jackie Goodway PhD (Advisor); Phillip Ward (Committee Member); Weidong Li (Committee Member); Patricia Owens (Committee Member) Subjects: Physical Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Physical Activity and Educational Services

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two motor skills instructional approaches; a low autonomy (LA) and mastery motivational climate (MMC) approach on object control (OC) skills of preschoolers who are disadvantaged (N = 124) along with the predictors of OC skill performance. The OC subscale of the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (Ulrich, 2000) assessed OC skills prior to, following, and nine-weeks after the intervention. At the pretest, all groups demonstrated OC skill scores that were developmentally delayed. A pretest 3 Group X 2 Sex ANOVA confirmed no Group differences in OC skills (p=.78) and a non-significant Group X Time interaction (p=.10). Overall, a 2 Group X 2 Time X 2 Sex ANOVA with repeated measures was used to assess OC skill learning from pretest to retention test for the LA and MMC groups. A significant main effect for Time (p<.001, c2=.92) was present along with a non-significant Group X Time interaction (p<.142) revealing that the intervention groups demonstrated significant pretest to retention test differences in OC skill performance. Paired sample t-tests assessed the overall changes from pretest to retention test and revealed that both the LA and MMC nine-week OC skill intervention was effective in improving the OC skill performance of the preschoolers from pretest levels (p<.001). In terms of predictors of OC skill performance at pretest, grip strength, sex, and age were predictive of pretest OC scores. Prior OC skill scores served as a predictor for posttest and retention test scores for all groups. More intriguing, the variables of child risk factor, body mass index, and skinfolds demonstrate a negative correlation for OC skill performance. Results from this study concludes that preschool children who are disadvantaged are developmentally delayed in motor skills, and motor intervention is necessary and valuable.

Committee: Jacqueline Goodway (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2003, Physical Activity and Educational Services

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of three instructional strategies on the performance of the overarm throw. A secondary purpose was to examine the influence of gender and instruction on throwing performance. The three instructional strategies were critical cue (CUE), biomechanical (BP), and typical physical education approaches (TPE). The CUE strategy consisted of three cues: laser beams, long step, and turn your hips fast. The BP strategy was a translation of biomechanical information into a four-stage instructional approach. The TPE strategy was based on Graham and colleagues (2001) critical elements. The dependent measures of throwing performance were body component levels, component levels during gameplay, and ball velocity. Participants (n=124) from six first and second-grade classes were systematically assigned to an instructional approach. Mean body component levels for the step, trunk, humerus and forearm along with mean recorded ball velocity were calculated from the 10 throwing trials at the pretest, posttest, and retention test. Additionally, participants' body component levels for the step, trunk, and forearm demonstrated in a throwing game were correlated with the body component levels demonstrated during practice. A Group X Time X Gender MANOVA with repeated measures revealed a non-significant multivariate Group effect (p=.068). Examining posttest body component levels, a significant difference between the CUE and TPE strategy for the step component. A significant Group X Time interaction (p=.04) with significant univariate Group X Time effects for the forearm (p=.03) was found. A multivariate Time effect was found (p=.068) with significant univariate Time effects for the step, trunk, humerus, forearm, and ball velocity. Correlation coefficients between body component levels during practice and gameplay revealed the strongest relationship for the trunk component, and the weakest for the step component. Significant gender differenc (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jacqueline Goodway (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Physical