EFFECTIVENESS OF BRAIN-BASED LEARNING STRATEGIES IN DEVELOPING GROSS AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS AMONG FOUNDATIONAL STAGE LEARNERS
Authors/Creators
- 1. Professor and Head, Department of Education, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
- 2. Research Scholar, Department of Education, Guru Nanak Dev University
Description
The present study explored the effects of Brain-Based Learning (BBL) strategies on enhancing gross and fine motor skills in foundational-stage learners (4–6 years old) in an Indian kindergarten environment. A pre-test and post-test with a matched control group, quasi-experimental design was used. The study sample consisted of 60 kindergarten children (n = 30 experimental; n = 30 control) purposively selected from two comparable government-aided primary schools. The experimental group participated in a 12-week structured BBL intervention that included cross-lateral movement activities (Brain Gym), rhythm-integrated motor tasks, sensory-rich fine-motor play, and gross-motor challenge circuits, while the control group continued with conventional instruction. Psychomotor development was assessed with the Child Development Scale—Psychomotor Subscale (CDS-PS) [32], a 24-item teacher-report observational rating scale covering five motor behaviour clusters: Gross Motor Locomotion and Coordination, Neuro-Motor Integration, Fine Motor and Visual-Motor Integration, Rhythm and Movement, and Balance and Postural Control. Two separate one-way ANCOVAs were performed with pre-test CDS-PS cluster scores as covariates. Results showed that there was a significant improvement in gross motor skills (F (1, 57) = 34.18, p < .001, η 2 = .37) and fine motor skills (F (1, 57) = 29.46, p < .001, η 2 = .34) in the experimental group compared to the control group. The largest effect was observed for the Neuro-Motor Integration cluster (F (1, 57) = 41.23, p < .001, η² = .42), indicating a direct correspondence between BBL strategies and cross-lateral, midline-crossing motor actions. The results support integrating the BBL strategies. The findings justify the inclusion of BBL strategies in the foundational stage curricula based on NEP 2020 as an evidence-based approach for holistic psychomotor development.
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21-Mankiran Virdhi - Online - IERJ261535765209.pdf
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- Journal: 2454-9916 (EISSN)
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