Author(s): MORAWIETZ, C., WISSMANN, A.M., MUEHLBAUER, T., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF DUISBURG-ESSEN, Country: GERMANY, Abstract-ID: 633

Overall academic achievements are decreasing, which poses a risk for cuts in physical education time in favor of other subjects [1]. At the same time, recent research on the association between physical activity, cognitive function and academic achievement in children reveals promising findings [2]. Spatial abilities as one aspect of complex cognitive functions are encountered frequently in everyday life [3] and have been associated with higher academic achievements, particularly in STEM-subjects [4]. Making use of this positive interaction could open new possibilities to address several problems of today’s society at once. The aim of the present study therefore is to investigate the effects of a six-week coordinative motor training on spatial ability performances in healthy children.
A total of 53 healthy secondary school students (f/m: 30/23, mean age: 11.3 ± 0.6 years) participated in either a six-week coordinative motor training with spatial ability elements (intervention group [IG]; 2x/week, 45 minutes/session) or attended regular PE-class (active control group [CG]). Pre- and post-intervention measurements included the Paper Folding Test (PFT), the Mental Rotation Test (MRT), the Water Level Task (WLT), the Corsi Block Test (CBT), and the Numbered Cones Run (NCR).
Pretest values did not differ significantly between groups at baseline. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant main effects of test but not of group and significant test × group interactions. Precisely, significant medium- to large-sized improvements in spatial abilities were observed for all but one (i.e., PFT) measures in the IG but not in the CG as indicated by the post-hoc analysis (MRT: p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.66; WLT: p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.51; CBT-span: p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.99; CBT-CS: p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.00; NCR: p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.76).
Spatial abilities of the IG improved significantly from pre- to posttest compared to the CG indicating that the coordinative motor training had a positive effect on spatial ability performances in healthy children. These findings are in line with previous research evaluating the effect of motor training on spatial abilities. Future research might also take gender specific differences in spatial abilities into account and evaluate the effect of coordinative motor training on spatial abilities in different age groups.
References
1. Hardman, K., A. Routen, and S. Tones, UNESCO-NWCPEA: world-wide survey of school physical education; final report. 2014.
2. Alvarez-Bueno, C., et al., Aerobic fitness and academic achievement: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 2020. 38: p. 1-8.
3. Fernandez-Baizan, C., J. Arias, and M. Méndez, Spatial orientation assessment in preschool children: Egocentric and allocentric frameworks. Appl. Neuropsychol. Child, 2019. 10(2): p. 171-193.
4. National Research Council, Learning to Think Spatially. 2006, Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 332.