Improving Movement Skills and Choreographing Rhythmic Gymnastics Movements for Primary School Sports Teacher Candidates: An Action Research in Indonesia

Abstract

Primary school sports teacher candidates require proficient rhythmic gymnastics movements and skills to create rhythmic gymnastics movements suitable for teaching in elementary schools. Their struggles in performing rhythmic gymnastics movements are due to their insufficient grasp of fundamental rhythmic gymnastics techniques, which consequently hampers their capacity to develop and create rhythmic gymnastics movements. This study exemplifies the collaborative efforts of a team dedicated to improving the skills of primary school sports teacher candidates to master rhythmic gymnastics movements and enhance their creativity in devising the rhythmic gymnastics movements through critical-reflective steps in action research design. This study involved 40 primary school sports teacher candidates enrolled in a university in West Java Province in Indonesia. They consisted of 18 female students and 22 male students aged 19-21 years. The findings revealed that there are six steps to improve movement skills and create rhythmic gymnastics, namely (1) introducing the fundamental basic movements of rhythmic gymnastics, (2) understanding the basic elements of music, (3) choosing music and choreographic themes, (4) designing choreography, (5) practicing movement design and music, and (6) integrating movement, music and instruments. These six steps are believed to be effective not only in improving skills but also the skills to create artistic rhythmic gymnastics movements.