The MOBAK-testing instruments are based on the basic motor competencies of schoolchildren and allow to assess them through eight test items that include “Object movement” and “Self movement”.

The aim is to register the basic motor competencies of Chilean schoolchildren and to identify how they are related to the motivation and attitudes towards physical activity out of school. Therefore, academics of the University of Potsdam (Germany) and University of Basel (Switzerland) came to the Universidad de La Frontera for the “Conference on Pedagogic Socialization of Basic Motor Competencies in Physical Education class” and to validate the MOBAK-testing instruments in Chile.

In this context, Dr. Jaime Cárcamo, an UFRO academic, commented that “considering that the development of basic motor competencies is one of the main objectives in PE class, it is important to know the impact the class has in schoolchildren, in order to determine if the objectives of the curricular bases are met and also to get to know their impact on the development of habits for an active lifestyle.”

“In this context, this Fondecyt project seeks to evaluate the motor competencies in schoolchildren in 5th grade and their relation to physical activity outside of school, as well as psychosocial aspects such as the children’s attitudes and motivation. This is why we decided to use the MOBAK-testing instrument, because it is a validated instrument to assess basic motor competencies in children which is used in Europe to determine the impact of PE classes”, the Dr. Jaime Cárcamo pointed out.

COOPERATION

This conference was held within the framework of the Fondecyt (Chilean National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development) Project No. 11170525, “Basic motor competencies as part of the PE curriculum and the relation to motivation, enjoyment, attitudes and out-of-school physical activity in schoolchildren of the Chilean Araukanía Region”, and included presentations by the European academics Dr. Erin Gerlach (University of Potsdam) and Dr. Christian Herrmann (University of Basel), about the measurement, importance and evaluation of basic motor competencies. These topics were embedded in one large presentation which was held in German with consecutive interpretation into Spanish.

“Thanks to the visit of these academics, we were able to train PE teachers and university students who are part of the team of this Fondecyt project. The application of the MOBAK-5 testing instrument will start in May and has the objective to apply the tests in Chilean schoolchildren and to determine their level of motor competencies, which they need in different situations of their in-PE-class and out-of-school activities”, Dr. Jaime Cárcamo concluded.

The conference took place at the Universidad de La Frontera, in the Auditorium “Selva Saavedra”, and was sponsored by the Chilean National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (Fondecyt Project No. 11170525) and the Universidad de La Frontera thorugh the Department of Physical Education, Sport and Recreation and the Outreach and Community Engagement Division (Extension Project EXS18-0028).