Assessing the teaching of selected fundamental motor skills in basic schools in the Wa Municipality

Abstract

The study sought to assess the teaching of some selected Fundamental Motor Skills (kicking, catching, hopping and running) in basic schools in the Wa Municipality. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The strategy was a quantitative research paradigm. Ten selected schools in the municipality with a sample population of 109 physical education teachers were purposively sampled for the study. The sample size consists of 80 male and 29 female physical education teachers. The sampling techniques used were convenience and purposive. Survey questionnaires and scheduled observation were the instruments used to gather data for the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the demographics characteristics of the classroom physical education teachers, nature of Fundamental Motor Skills taught, methods and Sequences adopted by classroom P.E. teachers in the teaching of Fundamental Motor Skills, challenges encountered by classroom P.E. teachers in the teaching of Fundamental Motor Skills and best practices that can be adopted in teaching Fundamental Motor Skills in the basic schools in the Wa Municipality. An effective inferential statistical tool, independent samples t-test was used to examine hypothetically whether there is no gender-wise significant difference in classroom Physical Education teachers’ methods of teaching Fundamental Motor Skills in the Wa Municipality. The study revealed that the nature of Fundamental Motor Skills taught in the basic schools in the Wa Municipality were the teaching of manipulative skills like throwing, catching, kicking, and volleying and teaching of locomotor skills like walking, running, hopping, galloping, jumping and sliding in practical P. E. Lessons.The study discovered that the method adopted by physical education teachers in the teaching of Fundamental Motor Skills in basic schools in the Wa Municipality was demonstration technique with strict adherent to their sequences in which the components of Skills normally appear in pupil’s development. The study revealed also that poor, lack or inadequate facilities was the challenge that physical education teachers faced in the teaching of Fundamental Motor Skills in basic schools in the Municipality. it is again, determined whether there is gender-wise significant difference in Physical education teachers, which indicated that male physical education teachers had strong adaptation of the methods for teaching of Fundamental Motor Skills as compared to female physical education teachers. The study recommended that all basic schools should be provided with the required teaching aids like P.E. Textbooks and field equipment. And, a standardized physical education fields should be constructed in all basic schools to enhance the teaching of fundamental motor skills.