Background: The goal of this research is to identify correlations of motivation and physical self-concept with physical activity among students of younger school age, as well as the level of prediction of motivation and physical self-concept with physical activity of students in physical education classes. Methods: The sample of respondents consisted of 411 students of the third and fourth grades from the territory of the Zlatibor district. A modified Self-Regulation Questionnaire was used to assess students’ motivational orientations, while appropriate subscales of the Self-perception Profile for Children measuring instrument were used to assess physical self-concept. Physical activity is shown as volume and intensive physical activity (vigorous physical activity (VPA)), measured with a Suunto memory belt pedometer and heart-rate monitor. Results: Boys’ motivational predictor variables accounted for 14% (volume) and 28% (VPA) of their physical activity in class, with intrinsic motivation, introjective regulation (just for the level of physical activity), and identified regulation as the most important determinants of physical activity. For girls, the identified regulation variable (from the system of motivational predictor variables) was shown to be the primary predictor variable on both criterion variables (R2 = 0.34 and 0.36). Conclusion: The teaching of physical education for students of younger school age should be conceived by creating a motivational climate, in order to encourage physical activity.

The aim of the research is to determine whether there are gender differences between younger school-age children, and whether those differences within the sub-sample are influenced by the state of mass and motor skills. The whole sample included 285 respondents age 7.27±0.43, of which 144 boys (50.52%), and 141 girls (49.48%) who attended the first grade on the territory of the Province of Vojvodina (Republic of Serbia). The Eurofit battery of tests was used. The research results show that the prevalence of children with severe thinness in the whole sample is low 3.87%; children with normal mass 65.26%; pre-obese children only 18.59% and obese children only 12.28%, so that gender differences in motor skills considering the whole sample, apart from the mass, are between average values for boys considering explosive strength of the lower extremities, repetitive strength of the body and agility. Statistically significant differences within the sub-sample considering motor abilities were seen neither in boys nor in girls of different mass. The research findings show that there is significant percentage of children with normal mass and that the flow of their mass is within their growth and development. Their motor development within the sub-sample also flows equally, and gender differences are present because of differentiation of motor skills, which appears in this period. The authors think that greater differences and variables in respect to mass and motor activities are to be seen in the period of pre-puberty.

Background/Objectives: The aim of this research was to determine the differences in physical fitness according to the level of physical activity (PA) during physical education classes in 10-year-old school children. Methods: The research included 315 primary school children (age 10 ± 1.3 years), divided into three groups by level of PA: low, moderate and high. A Eurofit test battery was used to evaluate the physical fitness of children. Physical activity (volume (number of steps) and intensity) was measured using a Coach Gear pedometer and a Suunto Memory Belt heart rate monitor. Results: Presented results indicate that there are significant differences between groups of children of both genders in relation to the level of PA. Group of boys with low PA showed lower values in sit and reach (p = 0.01), standing long jump (p = 0.02), bent arm hang (p = 0.04) and polygon backwards (p = 0.01) compared to the remaining two groups. Girls with low physical activity showed significant differences in sit and reach (p = 0.01) and bent arm hang (p = 0.01) compared to the other two groups, while in hand tapping, the high PA group showed better results compared to the other two groups (p = 0.03). Conclusions: The results reported in this research support the significant effects of PA level on physical fitness in school children. Less active children generally showed poorer physical fitness in both genders.

Background: The primary goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between body composition and motor coordination performance, and the secondary goal was to determine sex differences in body composition and motor coordination of preschool children. Methods: Forty-eight children (23 boys and 25 girls) underwent assessments for body composition and motor coordination using the Köperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK). Results: Linear regression analysis revealed significant associations between body composition and motor coordination in boys (p < 0.05) but not in girls. In boys, Body height (p = 0.01), Total muscle mass (p = 0.03), Total fat (p = 0.03), and Total water (p = 0.02) show statistically significant influence on single-leg jumps. Similar results were obtained for lateral jumps where there was a statistically significant influence of Body height (p = 0.01), Total muscle mass (p = 0.03), and Total water (p = 0.02). Interestingly, predictive variables showed no statistically significant influence on KTK overall score in boys (p = 0.42) nor in girls (p = 0.90). Conclusions: The predictive system of morphological variables demonstrated significance only among boys in this age group and sample. Girls outperformed boys due to early maturation, resulting in better average KTK scores.

Physical education, from the earliest age in preschool institutions, and then through primary and secondary schools, is the only place where children can, in the right way, acquire the knowledge on sports, skills, behaviour, necessary in order to get the continuity of physical activities in the adulthood. Primary school is a period when the students experience great changes in the overall developing status. Therefore, Physical Education has a fundamental role in the development of psychosomatic characteristics of children. While planning lessons of Physical Education, there is a special emphasis on the development of motor skills. The goal of this research refers to the establishing of the existing differences in the motor space of primary school children in relation to age. The sample consisted of 231 examinees who attended 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade (age 11 ± 1.6 years), out of which there were (N = 109; TV = 147.6 ± 7; TM = 39.6 ± 7.1) boys, and (N = 122; TV = 148.3 ± 5.9; TM = 40 ± 5.3) girls. All examinees were the students from the territory of Zlatibor region and with the signed permission for performing testing by both parents. Motor skills have been estimated within school Physical Education, all with the purpose of getting more realistic picture on the motor skills of children. The presented results point to the existing differences between the groups of examinees of both genders on a general level, as well as the individual differences within the motor space. These differences are more noticeable with boys (F = 5.92; P = .00) than with girls (F = 4.79; P = .00). Statistically greater differences with boys have been noted in the following variables: "Hand tapping", "Hand clapping", "Throwing basketball ball", "the 30 m running flying start", "Pull-ups", and "Torso lift-ups". With girls, statistically significant difference have been notes in the following variables: "Throwing basketball ball", "the 30 m running flying start" and "Torso lift-ups". The value of this work is reflected in the fact that, during testing, a great number of tests were used for estimation of the examinees' motor space, all with the purpose of getting more complete picture on the existence of differences among the groups, categorised by gender and age. The importance of testing and perception of differences in motor skills and their monitoring presents one of the important activities during PE classes, all with the purpose of the adequate lesson programming, but also monitoring the motor development.