The Effects of Movement Education on attention and Memory Development in the Age Group of 8 Years Children

The purpose of this study was to research effects of specially prepared movement education programs for 12 weeks on the development of memory and attention in the age group of 8 years students in elementary school. Totally 146 second grade elementary school students in Manisa in the age of 8 were participated in the research and were divided in two groups as control and experiment. The experiment group was formed of 69 students; control group was formed of 77 students. “Benton Visual Retention Test” has been applied as pre-test of the beginning and as post-test at the end of the study process to both of the groups. Movement education programme prepared for experimental group, considering developing memory and attention, applied in physical education lessons two hours per week during 12 weeks. Control group was maintained their usual Physical Education lessons only with their grade teacher in this period. The obtained data have been analyzed by using descriptive statistics (percentages and frequencies) and dependent and independent t test between groups. Statistically no significant difference was found between the pre-test scores of experiment and control groups (p 0.01). Experiment and control groups’ post-test and pre-test average differences were found significant when they are compared to their own group and the other group (p 0.01). According to statistical data findings, it is communicable that the specially prepared movement education programme is effective on 8-year-old elementary school children’s memory and attention.