Normative data for the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 in 7-yr.-old children in the Czech Republic

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Motor Skills Assessment
• Cross-Cultural Psychology

Background:

• The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) is a widely used tool for assessing motor skills in children.
• Establishing normative data is crucial for accurate interpretation of assessment results.
• Previous research has highlighted the importance of culturally relevant norms in developmental assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the gross motor development scores of Czech children with the existing U.S. normative sample of the TGMD-2.
• To investigate the applicability of U.S. TGMD-2 norms to a Czech population.
• To identify potential differences in gross motor skill performance between Czech and U.S. children.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 315 Czech elementary school children (152 boys, 163 girls) aged 7.0-7.1 years participated.
• Children's gross motor skills were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2).
• Raw score means and percentile ranks were statistically analyzed and compared to U.S. normative data.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were observed between the raw score means of the Czech sample and the U.S. normative sample for the TGMD-2.
• Percentile comparisons revealed discrepancies, indicating that Czech children's performance does not align directly with U.S. norms.
• The study identified specific areas of gross motor skill where differences were most pronounced.

Conclusions:

• The standardized U.S. norms for the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) may not be directly generalizable to the Czech population.
• Further research is warranted to develop culturally specific normative data for the TGMD-2 in the Czech Republic.
• Cross-cultural validation is essential for accurate interpretation of motor development assessments in diverse populations.