Opinions of skiing instructors on teaching in the fundamental and the sports movement phase

The thesis analyses a set of opinions of skiing instructors on the differences in teaching during the fundamental and the sports movement phase. The fundamental and the sports movement phase are the last of the four phases of human motor development. Preschool children normally belong to the fundamental movement phase, while schoolchildren (aged over seven years) belong to the sports movement phase. The differences between the two phases can be observed in terms of growth, development, experience and adaptation, and the stage of all-round development. Skiing instructors cannot teach children in both phases in the same way due to the specific developmental features of preschool children, which means they require adapted teaching methods and work. The goal of the instructor is to teach a specific skiing technique. However, the children in the sports movement phase and their younger counterparts do not share the same goals. Skiing instructors impart their knowledge to less experienced persons, either adults, pupils, preschool children, etc. Given that people without an education degree can also obtain a license, they are not fully acquainted with differences between the fundamental and the sports movement phase. Some instructors are able to spontaneously adapt to the differences, while some use the same method regardless on the students' phase of motor development. The purpose of the thesis is to identify the differences in the opinions of skiing instructors on teaching during the fundamental and the sports movement phase. It explores the tools they use for teaching preschool children and teenagers to indirectly assess whether they are well-equipped for teaching different age groups. Data was obtained with a survey questionnaire distributed to skiing instructors in December 2013. Slovene skiing instructors were forwarded an online survey questionnaire developed in Google Docs. Their addresses were acquired from Slovene ski schools and clubs (Ski Association of Slovenia). Data was processed with the SPSS software (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), more precisely the Descriptives program (to calculate descriptive statistics) and the Crosstabs subprogram (to determine the correlation between ordinal and nominal values). The differences were tested with a t-test, while the hypotheses were statistically tested at the level of 5% risk (p≤0.05). After analyzing the responses, it transpired that both instructors with a lower level of education (U1) and instructors with a higher level of education (U2, U3, demo) set their own and the child's goals in the fundamental movement phase. Slovene skiing instructors use different tools for teaching preschool children and adolescents. This fact was further supported with the confirmation of the null hypothesis on the use of different tools in teaching groups in the fundamental and the sports movement phase