The increasing number of young children with a low proficiency in fundamental movement skills (FMS) emphasize the need to intervene. The purpose of a largescale Dutch study called Start(V)aardig is specifying elements that determine the effectiveness of motor interventions and translating these elements into an 18- week FMS intervention to stimulate motor competence level of young children.
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The main aim of this study was to determine the agreement in classification between the modified KörperKoordinations Test für Kinder (KTK3+) and the Athletic Skills Track (AST) for measuring fundamental movement skill levels (FMS) in 6- to 12-year old children. 3,107 Dutch children (of which 1,625 are girls) between 6 and 12 years of age (9.1 ± 1.8 years) were tested with the KTK3+ and the AST. The KTK3+ consists of three items from the KTK and the Faber hand-eye coordination test. Raw scores from each subtest were transformed into percentile scores based on all the data of each grade. The AST is an obstacle course consisting of 5 (grades 3 till 5, 6–9 years) or 7 (grades 6 till 8, 9–12 years) concatenated FMS that should be performed as quickly as possible. The outcome measure is the time needed to complete the track. A significant bivariate Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.51 was found between the percentile sum score of the KTK3+ and the time to complete the AST, indicating that both tests measure a similar construct to some extent. Based on their scores, children were classified into one of five categories: <5, 5–15, 16–85, 86–95 or >95%. Cross tabs revealed an agreement of 58.8% with a Kappa value of 0.15 between both tests. Less than 1% of the children were classified more than two categories higher or lower. The moderate correlation between the KTK3+ and the AST and the low classification agreement into five categories of FMS stress the importance to further investigate the test choice and the measurement properties (i.e., validity and reliability) of both tools. PE teachers needs to be aware of the context in which the test will be conducted, know which construct of motor competence they want to measure and know what the purpose of testing is (e.g., screening or monitoring). Based on these considerations, the most appropriate assessment tool can be chosen.
MULTIFILE
This research paper conducts a review of the development of facilities management as a profession and some of the key moments in that journey. It then considers the situation of New Zealand, which has a number of characteristics such as a small population, relatively few large organisations which might make use of Facilities Management (FM) at a strategic level, and an understanding of FM which is more about operational rather than strategic issues. Through the tool of a ‘World-Café’ methodology during an FM Masterclass at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) with members of FMANZ, New Zealand’s FM professional association, key issues in the development of FM professionals in New Zealand are discussed and recommendations made. It is interesting to note that the issues of professional recognition, career pathways and academic qualifications are all issues raised in the literature and also by participants in the World-Café session held. This suggests that New Zealand’s FM professionals are progressing through the same ‘growing pains’ as their colleagues in Europe faced in the 1990s. However, it also shows that FM in New Zealand is probably some 15 years behind Europe. The authors recognise that some of the reasons for this may be caused by the above-mentioned New Zealand characteristics. In addition to working on the development and recognition of a domestic FM industry in New Zealand, the authors also suggest that much could be learned from other FM players globally. Opportunities for further research include case studies of successful organisations and the development of an educational framework for New Zealand.
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