The relationship between developmental affordances and perceived motor competence in preschool children

The relationship between developmental affordances and child's actual motor competence has been well determined. However, this relationship about their perceived motor competence has not yet been examined. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between affordances and perceived motor competence in Preschool children. The research method was a descriptive correlational study. The research sample included 192 children and their parents from preschool centers. Scales used to gather data include the affordances for motor behavior of schoolchildren and the pictorial scale of perceived movement skill competence for young children. The Pearson correlation coefficient and the regression analysis results showed that the affordance dimension of game materials predicts the perceived motor competence of locomotor skills; The affordance dimensions of the home and school characteristics significantly predict the perceived motor competence of ball skills; The affordance dimensions of the home and school characteristics, and game material predict total perceived motor competence. Overall, these findings suggest that developmental affordances play an important role in the perception of movement competence in preschool children. Therefore, it is suggested that parents and educators pay more attention to providing developmental affordances such as home and school characteristics, and game material in order to promote the perceived motor competence of preschool children and achieve favorable outcomes.