Effects of Different Movement Programs on Motor Competence: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Movement science
• Motor development
• Sports medicine

Background:

• Motor competence (MC) is crucial for overall physical health and development.
• Understanding the efficacy of various movement programs is essential for optimizing interventions.
• Previous research has yielded mixed results on the effectiveness of different physical activities for MC development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis evaluating the impact of diverse movement programs on motor competence.
• To compare the effectiveness of motor interventions, free play, physical education, and control conditions.
• To synthesize evidence across all age groups to inform best practices in physical activity programming.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed across 13 databases.
• Thirty-six studies met the inclusion criteria, with data extracted by two independent authors.
• Random effects models were employed to calculate standardized mean difference effect sizes (ES) for motor competence outcomes.

Main Results:

• Motor interventions demonstrated the largest significant improvement in MC (ES = 1.50).
• Physical education classes (ES = 0.52) and free play (ES = 0.33) also showed significant positive effects on MC.
• Control groups exhibited smaller, yet statistically significant, improvements in MC (ES = 0.16).

Conclusions:

• All analyzed movement program types led to improvements in motor competence in children, adolescents, and young adults.
• Motor interventions were found to be significantly superior to other tested groups for enhancing motor competence.
• These findings highlight the importance of structured motor skill training for optimizing physical development.