Motor competence in primary school children: A comparative study of two assessment methods

Abstract

Methods for assessing motor competence in children vary internationally, but it is still debated whether the commonly used tests measure comparable aspects of motor performance. This study compared two motor competence assessment tools—the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK) and the MOBAK 3–4 test, while also examining how gender, age, and BMI influenced their outcomes. A total of 101 primary school children (M = 9.41 years, SD = 0.56; 46.53% girls) participated in this cross-sectional study. Bivariate Pearson correlations were used to examine the association between the KTK and MOBAK 3–4 test assessments. Additionally, partial correlations were performed to control for the covariates: gender, age, and BMI. The motor quotient (KTK) demonstrated a moderate correlation with the object movement (OM) area (r = .396, p < .05), a stronger correlation with the self-movement (SM) area (r = .459, p < .01), and the highest correlation with the overall MOBAK score (r = .525, p < .01). After controlling for gender and age, a weak correlation was observed between MQ (KTK) and OM (rp = .286, p = .004), while moderate correlations were found between MQ (KTK) and SM (rp = .409, p < .001), as well as between MQ (KTK) and the MOBAK score (rp = .443, p < .001). Given the weak to moderate correlations between the KTK and MOBAK 3–4, experts should be cautious of potential categorization errors when relying on a single test. This study highlights the relationship between KTK and MOBAK 3–4, reinforcing the importance of using multiple assessment instruments for a comprehensive evaluation of MC.