SPATIAL-TEMPORAL ORIENTATION AND BALANCE ABILITY AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ACCORDING TO GENDER

Abstract

Spatio-temporal orientation and balance ability at certain ages show the superiority of a certain gender type in terms of the level of performance recorded. The aim of this study was to investigate whether performance in spatial-temporal orientation and balance ability differs by gender. In order to determine the differences between genders, an analysis was carried out on a sample of 120 primary school pupils who were divided by gender into two groups: 58 girls (M=27,13, SD=6,50 kg; M=129,07, SD=6,58 cm) and 62 boys (M=29,39, SD=7,90 kg; M=130,92, SD =7,02 cm). The following tests were applied: Matorin and Flamingo Test. For the interpretation of the results the Independent Samples T Test was used. According to the results of the research, in the case of the Flamingo Test - the handy leg, the values (M=4.48, SD=4.21) are significantly higher (t=2.21, DF=118, two-tailed p=0.28) than those of boys (M=3.06, SD=2.62). Regarding the Matorin Test - skill part, boys' values (M=283.06, SD=82.04) are significantly higher (t=3.50, DF=118, two-tailed, p=0.001) than girls' (M=232.55, SD=75.35). It is recommended to develop spatial-temporal orientation and balance skills because these skills play a considerable role in sports and technical games where they are in high demand.