The effect of a movement programme on selected psychological variables among adolescent girls from previously disadvantaged communities

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The purpose of this study was to determine if the participation in a movementprogramme, utilising 21 life skill development strategies would make a significantcontribution to adolescent girls' self-esteem. The adolescent girls participating in theprogramme were from a previously disadvantaged community in the Western Cape,South Africa, and considered to be at-risk youth. The movement divisions through whichthe life skill strategies of the five and one half month programme were presented to theexperimental group, were designed by the investigator, and included: modern dance,swimming, self-defence and an individual session of team building.Harter's (1985) Self-perception Profile for Children was used to measure the six subscalesof self-competence/esteem of a control group (n = 8) and an experimental group(n = 13) of girls between ages 13 - 16. The six dimensions of self-esteem measured,included: global self-worth; scholastic competence; social acceptance; athleticcompetence; physical appearance, and; behavioural conduct. On completion of themovement intervention programme by the experimental group, all the girls (N = 21) werepost tested, using the same quantitative measurement instrument. The experimentalgroup completed an additional open-ended Life Skill Questionnaire, designed by theinvestigator, to see if there had been a cognitive transferral of the life skills used in themovement programme from the movement experience to everyday life activities.Following the comparison between the pre- and post-test data of Harter's (1985) Se/fperceptionProfile for Children, it was concluded that participation in the movementprogramme had an overall positive and significant affect on the six sub-scales of thegirls' self-esteem. On analysis of the girls' responses to the Life Skill Questionnaire itwas found that they had been able to utilise all 21 life skills in the various movementcomponents offered in the programme, and that cognitive transferral of the skills hadtaken place to their everyday environment. Conceming the movement division, thestatements revolving around the utilisation of the skills predominantly revolved aroundiiStellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.zathe swimming, followed by dance and lastly self-defence. The life skills that were mostwidely used in their everyday environment were highlighted by the themes ofperseverance, commitment and academics.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University