Personal and Environmental Factors that Contribute to Experiences of Stress in Physical Education for Children at Risk for Developmental Coordination Disorder

• Author / Creator

  Zimmer, Chantelle R

• Psychological stress is as an experience that arises from a mismatch between a person’s perception of a situation and his or her resources to cope with environmental demands (Aldwin, 2007). Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is more than just a motor problem and is thought to cause many negative secondary consequences for children such as poor physical fitness (Rivilis et al., 2011), low self-esteem (Skinner & Piek, 2001), and social isolation (Smyth & Anderson, 2000), resulting in anxiety and depression (Missiuna & Campbell, 2014). Problems experienced in all developmental domains could greatly limit the skills and resources from which children can draw from to cope adaptively with stress. Many children with DCD seem to experience stress in physical activity contexts at school, particularly physical education, due to emphasis on their motor skills and their motor difficulties being visible to others (Fitzpatrick & Watkinson, 2003). However, researchers have not examined these experiences from the perspectives of children through a stress and coping lens or how teachers might contribute to experiences of stress. The first study explored how children who demonstrated characteristics associated with DCD, and were referred to as at risk for DCD, experienced and coped with stress in physical education. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009) was used to understand the essence of their lived experiences. Six children at risk for DCD who were 10 to 12 years old were recruited from elementary schools and summer camps at a physical activity centre. Children were asked to illustrate what a good and bad day in physical education was like for them, which they discussed during the first interview. A second interview was conducted to learn more about their bad day experiences. The audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Skinner and Wellborn’s (1994) theory of stress and coping. The analysis revealed three themes: (a) they hurt me, (b) it’s hard for me, and (c) I have to. The children talked about experiences in which they sustained psychological and physical harm from peers, encountered difficulties in performing activities, and felt pressure to meet the teacher’s demands. Children coped more adaptively in response to the first two stressors than third one. Social support, primarily from the teacher, seemed to influence how well children coped. While teachers can help guide children through stressful experiences to foster growth and resiliency, most are unfamiliar with DCD and its consequences (Wilson, Neil, Kamps, & Babcock, 2013) and lack adequate training to support these children (Jasmin, Tétreault, & Joly, 2014). Because perceptions can influence behaviour, the second study explored how elementary generalist teachers’ understanding of DCD influenced their role in addressing the perceived needs of children thought to be at risk for DCD in physical education. Children were referred to as having movement difficulties (MD) since the term reflects functional and observable motor problems, and limited influence on teachers’ perspectives. Interpretive description (Thorne, 2008) was used to gather practical insights from 12 teachers across all elementary years with diverse backgrounds. A single interview was conducted with each teacher to learn about perspectives of and experiences with these children, which was transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The analysis produced four themes; two representing teachers’ perspectives and two their experiences: (a) “I think it can be different things,” (b) “it encompasses a lot,” (c) “I try to make it a positive experience,” and (d) “I am like a jack of all trades, master of none.” Teachers believed DCD was the consequence of an impairment and/or unhealthy lifestyle and recognized a range of difficulties children experienced. While these difficulties did not appear to be related to their perceptions of DCD, the concerns they had about children’s normative development, beliefs about their physical education attainment, and views of who should support these children were. However, all teachers thought their primary role was to ensure children had a positive experience by attempting to increase their physical competence. The collective results illustrate teachers require further education about these children and their experiences first hand to fully address their needs, as well as professional development that increases their abilities to assist children with developing personal skills and social resources to adapt well to adverse situations.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • developmental coordination disorder
  • self-determination theory
  • stress
  • elementary school
  • coping
  • physical education

• Graduation date

  Fall 2019

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-zamg-rt90

• License

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