The Impact of Traditional Games on Fundamental Motor Skills and Participation in Elementary School Students

Abstract

Fundamental Motor Skill (FMS) is the initial foundation for students to start practising more complex movements. FMS is still not specifically taken seriously enough to be taught. Teachers assume that students will master these abilities by themselves. Students' FMS abilities are still low, and the learning does not emphasize FMS as the initial foundation, so the level of students' participation is not satisfactory. In this study, researchers implemented a physical education program using traditional "bebentengan" and "boy-boyan" games. This study examines the impact of a physical education program using traditional bebentengan and boy-boyan games on FMS for elementary school students. This study used a one-group pre-test and post-test design with 43 participants as samples: 20 male and 23 female students. The Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3) instrument and the sports participation scale were employed to measure the students' skills. The results obtained in the Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3) with seven aspects resulted in a p-value of 0.000 <0.05, and in sports participation, a p-value of 0.000 <0.05, which means it has a significant effect. It can be inferred that the traditional games of bebentengan and boy-boyan significantly have a positive effect on elementary school students' FMS and their participation.