COACH-LED ADAPTIVE GAME-BASED MOTOR COMPETENCE INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN AGED 6–12 YEARS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF AGILITY, BALANCE, COORDINATION, AND ENJOYMENT OUTCOMES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1164023Keywords:
Agility, Balance, Coordination, Game-Based Intervention, Motor CompetenceAbstract
Motor competence in middle childhood is a critical foundation for lifelong physical activity, yet many children fail to achieve adequate proficiency in agility, balance, and coordination. Game-based interventions have gained attention as a promising approach to develop these skills while fostering positive affective experiences such as enjoyment. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the overall effects of game-based interventions on motor competence in children aged 6–12 years, examine differential effects on agility, balance, and coordination separately, evaluate whether these interventions enhance enjoyment, and explore moderating factors including age, sex, and program parameters. We conducted a comprehensive literature search across six electronic databases, screened studies against predefined inclusion criteria, and assessed risk of bias using established Cochrane tools. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed where sufficient data were available, with subgroup analyses and meta-regression examining heterogeneity. The findings showed that game-based interventions generally produced significant improvements in motor outcomes compared with control conditions, with effects varying across agility, balance, and coordination. Enjoyment was consistently reported as a positive outcome, though measurement tools differed across studies. Intervention effectiveness was moderated by participant age, with younger children showing greater responsiveness, and by program duration and frequency, where longer and more frequent sessions yielded larger effects. Comparisons between progressive or individualized programs and standardized approaches yielded mixed findings. This review provides robust evidence that game-based interventions effectively improve motor competence and enhance enjoyment in children aged 6–12 years, supporting their integration into physical education curricula and community-based programs.
Downloads
References
Abós, Á., Sevil, J., Martín-Albo, J., Aibar, A., et al. (2018). Validation evidence of the motivation for teaching scale in secondary education. The Spanish Journal of Psychology.
Bernhardin, D., Ward, R. F. V., & Alsyapari, F. (2023). Hadangan games to improve gross motor skills in elementary school children. Journal of Physical and Outdoor Education.
Dan, N., Nga, N., & Dung, T. (2024). Digital game-based learning in mathematics education at primary school level: A systematic literature review. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education.
Davids, K., Araújo, D., Seifert, L., et al. (2015). An ecological dynamics perspective. Routledge Handbook of Sports Performance Analysis.
Ekkekakis, P., Hall, E., & Petruzzello, S. (2005). Variation and homogeneity in affective responses to physical activity of varying intensities: An alternative perspective on dose-response based on evolutionary …. Journal of Sports Sciences.
Elbe, A., Wikman, J., Zheng, M., et al. (2017). The importance of cohesion and enjoyment for the fitness improvement of 8-10-year-old children participating in a team and individual sport school-based physical …. European Journal of Sport Science.
Festiawan, R. (2020). Application of traditional games: How does it affect the children’s fundamental motor skills? Jurnal MensSana.
Foweather, L., & Rudd, J. (2020). Fundamental movement skill interventions. The Routledge Handbook of Youth Physical Activity.
Frost, J., Wortham, S., & Reifel, R. (2012). Play and child development. museumofplay.org.
Greule, C., Sudeck, G., Thiel, A., Kastner, L., et al. (2024). Correlates of physical activity enjoyment in children and adolescents for a new perspective on the treatment of overweight: A systematic literature review. Obesity Reviews.
Gu, X. (2017). Understanding children’s physical activity and health-related quality of life: An expectancy-value approach. Advances in Physical Education.
Handayani, S., Cahyani, O., et al. (2026). The effect of the roblox obby real life game-based learning model on elementary school students’ gross motor skills. Kinestetik : Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Jasmani.
Hassan, M., Liu, W., McDonough, D., Su, X., et al. (2022). Comparative effectiveness of physical activity intervention programs on motor skills in children and adolescents: A systematic review and network meta …. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Miller, A. (2015). Games centered approaches in teaching children & adolescents: Systematic review of associated student outcomes. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.
Mubarok, R., & Faruk, M. (2026). Efforts to improve the agility of sixth-grade students at SDN pangkatrejo through the traditional game of gobak sodor. Journal of Applied Sport Science, Innovation, and Health.
Mutamimah, S., Aliriad, H., & Apriyanto, R. (2026). The effect of interactive snakes and ladders game on improving elementary school students’ basic motor skills. Jurnal Elementaria Edukasia.
Page, M., McKenzie, J., Bossuyt, P., et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71.
Rached, H., & Mouloud, K. (2026). The effect of practicing traditional games on developing some coordinative abilities in children an experimental study on children of southeastern algeria. GYMNASIUM.
Rahmanifar, M., Ebrahimi, E., Davoodeh, S., Goharrizi, S. J., & Fard, G. C. (2024). The effect of game-based intervention on locomotor skills of female students aged 9-11 years with flat foot. Sport Sciences for Health, 21, 729–735.
Robinson, L., Stodden, D., Barnett, L., Lopes, V., et al. (2015). Motor competence and its effect on positive developmental trajectories of health. Sports Medicine.
Romiszowski, A. (2013). The development of physical skills: Instruction in the psychomotor domain. Instructional-Design Theories and Models.
Rüth, M., & Kaspar, K. (2020). Exergames in formal school teaching: A pre-post longitudinal field study on the effects of a dance game on motor learning, physical enjoyment, and learning …. Entertainment Computing.
Ryan, R., & Deci, E. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist.
Satria, M. H., Aliriad, H., Nuzulia, D., Mangngassai, I. A. M., Junaidi, I., & Zainuddin, Moh. (2024). Game-based physical education learning to improve basic manipulative movement skills in primary school children. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology.
Scheuer, C., Herrmann, C., & Bund, A. (2019). Motor tests for primary school aged children: A systematic review. Journal of Sports Sciences.
Sholihah, Z. A., Aliriad, H., & Cahyani, O. D. (2026). The effectiveness of the SOS FIT challenge game in improving basic motor skills of elementary school students. Kinestetik : Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Jasmani.
Syafira, K., Slamet, S., Sumarno, G., et al. (2026). The effectiveness of cooperative soccer like games on gross and social motor. Kinestetik : Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Jasmani.
Teques, P., Calmeiro, L., Silva, C., & Borrego, C. (2020). Validation and adaptation of the physical activity enjoyment scale (PACES) in fitness group exercisers. Journal of Sport and Health Science.
Yanti, S. (2026). Implementation of the traditional game mpa’a gopa to improve gross motor skills among students at state elementary school 1 simpasai, lambu district, bima …. Musamus Journal of Physical Education and Sport.
Zavala-Martínez, L., Hurtado-Salgado, E., et al. (2026). Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental delay in the offspring: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Hypertension Research.
Zhu, Y., Wang, J., Ding, Y., Qian, Y., Korivi, M., Chen, Q., et al. (2025). Assessing the measurement properties of the test of gross motor development-3 using the COSMIN methodology-a systematic review. Behavioral Sciences.
