| The purposes of this study were to investigate the relationship of perceived physical competence and actual motor competence relative to age, gender, and parental physical activity in children with mild mental retardation (MMR). The participants consisted of 112 children from 8 to 11 years of age with MMR who attend special schools for students with MR in Korea, and their parents. The Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition (TGMD-2; Ulrich, 2000) and the Pictorial Scale for Perceived Physical Competence for Children with Mental Retardation (PSPPCCMR; Ulrich & Collier, 1990) were the instruments used to assess the perceived physical competence and actual motor competence of participant children. The Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ; Godin & Shephard, 1985) was used to assess leisure time physical activity of participant parents. The statistical tests (Pearson product-moment correlation, MANOVA, t-test, and ANOVA) were performed at the .05 alpha level. The results of this study indicated that the relationship between perceived physical competence and actual motor competence in children with MMR was statistically significant. There were significant effects of gender and parental physical activity on perceived physical competence and actual motor competence, but there were not effects of age and interaction of gender, age, and parental physical activity. This study suggests that applying Harter's theory (1978) to children with MMR results in similar findings with regard to the relationship between perceived and actual physical competence and parental influence on perceived physical competence. From this study, the data regarding perceived physical competence and actual motor competence of children with MMR have implications for adapted physical educators or special education teachers to develop a more effective physical education program or curriculum for instruction in basic motor skills. |
