Attitude formation towards physical activity in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

• Published in: European journal of special needs education Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 157 - 170
• Main Authors: Meek, Geoffrey A., Sugden, David A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.06.1997
• Subjects: Attitude formation; Attitudes; Children; Developmental Coordination Disorder; Physical activity; teaching physical education
• ISSN: 0885-6257; 1469-591X
• DOI: 10.1080/0885625970120207

The Attitude Formation towards Volleyball Questionnaire(AFTV), based on Bagozzi's attitude formation model, assessed the level of attitude formation of three experimental groups (groups with and without previous volleyball experience, and a group of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)) and at three age levels (7, 11 and 14 years of age). The results of group mean comparisons revealed no significant differences at either 7 or 11, but by 14 years of age the children with DCD had formed significantly lower attitudes than their class peers. Attitude formation between age levels of children with DCD was also assessed and the results reveal a significant decrease in attitude formation scores as age increases. From these results it is implied that a syndrome of concomitant behaviours associated with DCD begins to have increasingly detrimental effect even prior to performance of a physical activity. The implications of the attitude formation results are discussed in relation to the skill demands expected in physical education for children with DCD in mainstream schooling.