Abstract

This study examined the effects of a 12-week developmental games intervention on the coordination and agility levels of school children aged 10–12 years in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana, with a focus on gender interaction effects. A quasi-experimental design was used, involving 30 children (15 boys and 15 girls) randomly selected from the Cape Coast Metropolis. The participants completed a 12-week motor skills intervention, with coordination and agility assessed at baseline, and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks using the BOT-2 test (Bruininks and Bruininks, 2005), which took 15 to 20 min to administer. Results showed a significant gender interaction effect on agility (F(5, 84) = 7.74, p = .001, η²p = .472) and coordination (F(5, 84) = 3.65, p = .025, η²p = .297), with boys improving more in coordination (M = 3.75, SD = 0.41) than girls (M = 3.37, SD = 0.41).Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that, developmental games could be effective tools for improving coordination and agility levels among children aged 10-12 years, especially if they are given about three months interval to practice. Thus, using these available games can reduce source
challenge in teaching and learning PE and help improve sports in the country.

Keywords: Developmental Games, Balance, School Children, 12-week Practice