Rhythmic Gymnastics Improves Some Components Of The Coordination Ability

Abstract

Rhythmic gymnastics is a sports discipline practiced as both a high-performance sport and a mass sport. However, we also want it to become, in Romania, an adapted sport for people with various impairments, especially sensory ones (visual impairments). The purpose of this research is to develop some components of the coordination ability in visually impaired children through psychomotor actions performed with a series of apparatus (rope, hoop and ball) specific to rhythmic gymnastics. The following scientific research methods were used: documentation, case study, observation, statistical processing of the results and their graphical representation. The research included the following stages: stage 1 – performing an initial evaluation that consisted of a number of tests; stage 2 – applying some physical exercises with 3 of the 5 hand apparatus specific to rhythmic gymnastics (rope, hoop and ball); stage 3 – performing a final evaluation to assess the response of the coordination ability components (evolution/ involution/ stagnation) in the studied subjects; stage 4 – drawing conclusions. The evaluation of subjects was based on the hand-eye coordination test and the spatial-temporal orientation test. The findings demonstrate the progression of two components of the coordination ability after the visually impaired students have learned to handle the three apparatus included in the research.

Keywords: Rhythmic gymnasticscoordination abilityvisual impairment

Introduction

Rhythmic gymnastics involves physical exercises performed with specific hand apparatus, which engage the components of the coordination ability. This sports discipline is mainly practiced by women, but lately, people of male gender have also shown a growing interest in this activity.

Worldwide, rhythmic gymnastics is practiced as a mass sport, performance sport and adapted sport. In some European countries, this sports discipline is included in the school curriculum and is successfully used to improve the psychomotricity of children with various disabilities (Macovei, 2007).

Problem Statement

Impairment is defined as “the loss of mental or physical function resulting from the disorder of an organ or a body segment, which hinders the functionality and development of the activity at a normal level” (Enăchescu, 2004, p. 31).

Impairments are systematised into three large categories: mental, sensory and motor ones (Cordun, 2009).

The category of sensory impairments includes visual and hearing impairments, as well as those associated to both of them (Teodorescu, Bota, & Stănescu, 2003).

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the term “visual impairment” makes reference to either the decrease in visual acuity (amblyopia) or the loss of it (Smith, Frick, Holden, Fricke, & Naidoo, 2009).

It has been demonstrated that a decrease in the visual analyser function in visually impaired people is compensated for by other valid analysers. For example, the practice of rhythmic gymnastics requires complex multisensory (tactile-kinaesthetic, vestibular) information.

Research Questions

We believe that performing psychomotor actions with a number of rhythmic gymnastics apparatus (rope, hoop and ball) by children with amblyopia can contribute to the improvement of some coordination components (hand-eye coordination and spatial-temporal orientation) and that this sports discipline should be included into the physical education syllabus of special education units – for visual impairments.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this research is to develop some coordination components in children with visual impairments through psychomotor actions performed with rhythmic gymnastics apparatus.

Research Methods

The research methods used were the following:

• bibliographic documentation, consisting in the study of materials from the national and international literature on rhythmic gymnastics, visual impairments, coordination abilities, psychomotricity etc.;

• the case study, referring to the small number of subjects participating in the research (9 students);

• observation, which was carried out throughout the activity in order to adapt the proposed means to the momentary capabilities of the subjects;

• data processing, which was achieved using computer products (SPSS V20, Minitab V16, Microsoft Office 2010 – Word and Excel) and statistical tests (Wilcoxon test);

• graphical representation, which was used to highlight the response of the coordination ability components to the applied therapy (evolution/involution/stagnation).

The participating subjects were 9 children in the 3^rd grade, attending the courses of a special school named the “Middle School for Visually Impaired” of Bucharest. The research was conducted over a period of 4 months, from December 2014 to April 2015.

Subject selection was based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, as follows:

• Inclusion criteria: visually impaired students (unilateral or bilateral amblyopia; age of the subjects: between 9 and 12 years; regular participation in physical education classes within the education unit; motor and mental capability to perform the proposed activities.

• Exclusion criteria: students diagnosed with total bilateral visual blindness; older or younger age than that of the proposed range (9 to 12 years old); motor and/or mental incapacity to perform the proposed activities.

Findings

The results achieved by thee subjects in the hand-eye coordination test are showed below.

The number of failed and successful attempts, as well as the time (in seconds), were assessed in dynamics (initially and finally). Using the above scoring scale, the initial and final scores were calculated for each subject and the entire group (Table 01 ). The results were statistically processed (Tables 02 and 03 ).

In the final testing, the mean score in the hand-eye coordination test increased by 1.11, from 1.00 to 2.11, the progress achieved being 111.11%. The median had the value 1 in both tests.

The dispersion of the points obtained by the subjects is strongly non-homogeneous in both tests.

The points achieved vary between 0 and 3 in the initial testing and between 1 and 5 in the final testing. The range increased by 1 point in the final testing.

The significance test reveals a value of p = 0.023 < 0.05 for z = -2.271. The research hypothesis is accepted, the progress achieved being statistically significant. The effect size index (0.54) shows a large to very large difference between the two tests.

Statistical processing indicates that the use of means specific to rhythmic gymnastics by children with amblyopia leads to the improvement of their hand-eye ability. Thus, Figure 01 shows the progress recorded by the investigated subjects between the two evaluations, after applying the physical exercises performed with hand apparatus (rope, hoop and ball).

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The results of children with amblyopia in the spatial-temporal orientation test are showed below.

The distance covered to point B (in centimetres) was assessed in dynamics (initially and finally) (Table 04 ). The results were statistically processed (Tables 05 and 06 ).

In the final testing, the mean score in the spatial-temporal orientation test increased by 1.11, from 1.78 to 2.89, the progress achieved being 62.50%. The median increased by 1 point in the final testing.

The dispersion of the points around the mean is strongly non-homogeneous in the initial testing and relatively homogeneous in the final testing. In the initial testing, the median value 2 better represents the central tendency.

The points achieved vary between 0 and 3 in the initial testing and between 2 and 4 in the final testing. The range decreased by 1 point in the final testing.

According to the Wilcoxon test, the significance threshold p is equal to 0.015 < 0.05 for z = -2.428.

The research hypothesis is accepted, the progress achieved being statistically significant. The effect size index (0.57) shows a large to very large difference between the two tests.

Statistical processing indicates that the spatial-temporal orientation of children with amblyopia is better after applying the therapy programme performed with the three rhythmic gymnastics apparatus. Thus, Figure 02 emphasises the progress recorded by the investigated subjects between the two evaluations.

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Conclusion

The analysis and interpretation of the obtained data show that the means applied to students with visual impairments can improve their coordination ability, which has been demonstrated by the confirmation of the research hypothesis, according to which physical exercises with the hand apparatus specific to rhythmic gymnastics can improve the hand-eye coordination and spatial-temporal ability of children with amblyopia.

The progress of the coordination ability components that have been studied in this research highlights that the means specific to rhythmic gymnastics can be successfully used during the physical education classes within the special education units.

The effectiveness of the means used is supported by the achievement of the proposed goal after applying the physical exercises performed with three of the five hand apparatus specific to rhythmic gymnastics (rope, hoop and ball).

We think that this sports discipline can be included into the physical education syllabus of special education units – for visual impairments, because it has direct consequences on the psychomotricity of visually impaired children.

References

1. Cordun, M. (2009). Kinantropometrie. București: CD Press.
2. Enăchescu, C. (2004). Tratat de igienă mentală (Ed. a II-a). Iaşi: Polirom.
3. Macovei, S. (2007). Exerciţii cu obiecte pentru educaţie fizică adaptată şi incluzivă. Bucureşti: Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică.
4. Smith, T. S. T., Frick, K. D., Holden, B. A., Fricke, T. R., & Naidoo, K. S. (2009). Potential lost productivity resulting from the global burden of uncorrected refractive error. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 87(6), 431-437.
5. Teodorescu, S., Bota, A., & Stănescu, M. (2003). Educație fizică și sport adaptat pentru persoane cu deficiențe senzoriale, mintale și defavorizate social. București: Semne.