What is Trained Develops! Theoretical Perspective on Skill Learning

Abstract

Knowledge about developmental theories is important for experts or specialists working with children following normal development and children who have various kinds of dysfunction, in order to better understand what happens with processes associated with motor behavior. In this article, we have explored how theories of development and learning can be used to understand processes associated with motor behavior. A probabilistic perspective emphasizes that the changes taking place in the development is a result of interaction: structural changes in the nervous system leading to changes in function and behavior and opposite, functional changes resulting in changes in structure. This bidirectional interaction between biological and experiential aspects is a continuous process which cannot be reduced to either organism or environment. Dynamical systems theory (DST) emphasizes that it is the interaction between the person, the environment, and the task that changes how our movements are, also in terms of how we develop and learn new movements. The interplay between these factors will, over time, lead to changes in motor development. The importance of experience is central to Edelman's theory of neuronal group selection (NGST). Activation of the nervous system increases the connections between certain areas of the brain, and the selection processes in the brain are a result of enhancement of neural connections involved in a "successful" motion. The central nervous system adapts its structure and function in response to internal and external influences, and hence neural plasticity is a prerequisite for learning and development. We argue that Edelman´s approach supports the theory of specificity of learning. From the perspectives of probabilistic epigenesis, DST, and NGST, we can see that being physically active and having the opportunity to get different movement experiences are of great significance for promoting motor development and learning. A variation of purposeful or rewarding physical activity in a variety of contexts will provide individual opportunities for changes of behavior in terms of both quantitative and qualitative changes in motor development.

Letter-Sound Knowledge: Exploring Gender Differences in Children When They Start School Regarding Knowledge of Large Letters, Small Letters, Sound Large Letters, and Sound Small Letters

“…In other words, the changes that reading makes to our brain results from the effect of our experience with reading. These findings can be used as an argument for the task specificity principles of learning across cognitive and motor skills, as the processes associated with learning may seem relatively independent and specific ( Kleim and Jones, 2008 ; Sigmundsson et al, 2013 , 2017 ; Stöckel and Hughes, 2015 ). Gender differences in reading is both growing and consistent ( Stoet and Geary, 2013 ) yet it is ignored in the literature ( Dodd and Carr, 2003 ).…”

The Effects of Physical Education on Motor Competence in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Low levels of motor competence have been reported for both children and adolescents in many countries [8][9][10][11]. In order to increase these levels among children and youth who are potentially missing out on developing motor behaviors that are important for normal growth and development, practice and instruction are needed to facilitate motor development [12]. Indeed, research has consistently demonstrated that scheduled programs that are developmentally and age appropriate (for children or adolescents), activity-based, task-specific, and/or have a high level of autonomy are efficient interventional methods for improving various aspects of motor competence [13][14][15].…”

Associations between Motor Competence, Physical Self-Perception and Autonomous Motivation for Physical Activity in Children

“…Possessing certain motor skills allows the child to participate in varied physical activities, which in turn facilitates versatile movement experiences [10]. At the same time, stimuli and experience through participation in physical activity give rise to both quantitative and qualitative changes in motor development, that is, learning new motor skills and increasing the quality of movement in skills already learned [11,12]. In recent years, a decline in motor skills in children and adolescents has been reported [13][14][15].…”