Peer-reviewed article
Learning outcomes of elementary School Children Low Skilled in horizontal bar exercises after implementation of an annual unit program for three years:
Michiko HARIGAI, Tomoyasu Kondoh ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This peer-reviewed study examined how elementary school children in Japan developed horizontal bar exercise skills over three years of repeated annual instruction. Children who initially had low skills showed improvement with practice, but required ongoing repetition to retain techniques. The research suggests that horizontal bar movements should be taught as integrated units rather than separate skills, with particular emphasis on first and second grade instruction.
Key points
- Low-skilled children showed minimal horizontal bar movement skills initially but improved with repeated practice over three years
- Children lost ability to perform techniques they had previously mastered if practice was discontinued
- Horizontal bar skills should be taught as integrated units rather than separate isolated techniques
- First and second grade instruction is particularly important for improving outcomes in low-skilled children
- Annual repetition of horizontal bar exercise units is necessary for skill retention
Limitations
This study focuses on a specific motor skill (horizontal bar exercises) and does not address broader child well-being outcomes such as health, nutrition, education quality, or social development. The findings are specific to gymnastics instruction and may not generalize to other learning contexts.
Abstract
This study examined the learning outcomes of children who were low skilled in horizontal bar exercises over a period of three years.We conducted a unit of horizontal bar exercise every year from the first grade to the third grade, and examined their learning behaviors and outcomes.Their learning outcomes were evaluated against the criteria for observational evaluation.The results revealed that when they first learned the horizontal bar movement, they only possessed minimal movement skills.However, with repeated practice, their skills increased.Further, we found that they were unable to use certain techniques without practicing for some time, even if they were able to do the technique once.It was suggested that the horizontal bar exercise movement skill should be learned repeatedly every year.In particular, it is necessary to study both the first and second grades in order to improve the learning outcomes of low-skilled children.Teaching each skill separately is not preferable when learning the horizontal bar movement since the movements learned first may be the basis for those learned next.Teachers are encouraged to plan their teaching considering these findings.