Physical Activities Using Korean Dance and Motor Ability in Young Children
Ji Yeon Choi , Ju Lie Lee
Abstract
This study examined the effects of physical activities using Korean dance upon the motor abilities of young children. The subjects of this study were divided into 2 groups. The first group was an experimental group (boy=12, girl=13) who participated in the Korean dance class and the other group was a comparative group (boy=11, girl=14). Experiments were performed during 18 sessions for 9 weeks. The study findings are as follows. First, physical activities using Korean dance had positive effects upon the development of basic motor abilities in young children. In terms of these basic motor abilities, movement motor ability and whole muscle operation motor ability showed significant differences between the pre-test and post-test stage in the experiment group and between the experimental and comparative groups in the post-test stage. On the other hand, in terms of non-movement motor abilities, there was a significant difference between the pre- and post-test stages for the experimental group, but no significant difference in the post-test stage for the experimental or comparative groups. Second, physical activities using Korean dance had positive effects upon the development of perceptive motor abilities in young children. In other words, in the sub-variables of perceptive motor abilities, there were significant differences between the pre- and post-test stages of the experimental group which experienced physical activities using Korean dance. In conclusion, the study findings showed that physical activities using Korean dance had positive effects upon the increase of both basic motor abilities and perceptive motor abilities in young children. Additionally, the experimental group exhibited more positive effects in the various areas of motor abilities than the comparative group.