INFLUENCE OF LOCATION AND GENDER ON PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED MOTOR SKILLS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT IN AWKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ANAMBRA STATE.

ABSTRACT

The study explored the influence of location and gender on performance of some selected motor skills among Secondary Schools in Awka South Local Government Area. The population of the study involved all male and female Secondary Schools students in urban and rural areas of Awka South Local Government, Anambra State. Four schools out of eighteen schools were used for the study. Two schools are from Urban while the other two are from rural. Two hundred subjects made of hundred boys and hundred girls were used for the study. Multi-phase sampling was adopted in selection. The study posed three research questions and three hypotheses. Data were collected with a battery of tests developed by Barrow (1987). Tests used for the study include: 50 metres dash, standing broad jump and 10 metres shuttle run. Stop watches and a measuring tape were used to collect data with the help of research assistants. t-test was used in testing the null hypotheses. The result revealed that urban male students performed better than rural male students in 50 metres dash, and 10 metres shuttle run, but rural male excelled in standing broad jump. Rural female students performed better than urban female students in 50 metres dash and 10 metres shuttle run while urban female students excelled in standing broad jump. Furthermore, male students performed better than female student in standing broad jump and 10 metres shuttle run and female students excelled only in 50 metres dash. The study provided the coaches and physical educators opportunity to create awareness of the importance and value of physical education in rural areas. One of the recommendations was that placement of students and staff in secondary schools should be done randomly so that there will be an even distribution of both high and low achievers in all schools.