Assessment of Motor Proficiency Levels in Children in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Assessing children’s motor development is important for determining their developmental levels and needs in order to promote their motor skills. Differing environmental and cultural backgrounds can impact upon children’s motor development, and thus need to be taken into account in motor assessments. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the motor development levels of children in Saudi Arabia using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2). The investigation included both genders (males and females) at three school grade levels (1st, 3rd, 5th) from two residential areas (urban and rural). Moreover, the study investigated the effects of gender, grade, and residence on the performance of a sample of 188 Saudi children. These results were compared to BOT-2 norms from a United States sample. Furthermore, this study examined the possibility of using BOT-2 in Saudi society (objectivity, reliability, and validity). A quantitative research paradigm was used in the study to achieve the study’s objectives. One-sample-t-test was utilised to identify any significant differences between the study groups and BOT-2 norms in the subtest point scores. A three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine any effect of the independent variables (gender, grade, and residential area) on the dependent variables (motor-area composite scores). Lastly, several statistical methods were used to examine the objectivity, reliability, and validity of using BOT-2 with Saudi children.