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Effects of Differential Motor Learning Practice on Gross Motor Skill Performance in Students with Physical Disabilities: A School-Based Intervention

Document Type : Original Article

Author

دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد اسلامشهر Islamic Azad University, Islamshahr

APSS/apss.2026.2093959.1028
Abstract
Students with physical disabilities often have limited gross motor skills, reducing participation in physical education and daily activities. Differential Motor Learning (DML), emphasizing movement variability and self-organization, may enhance motor learning more effectively than repetitive practice. This study evaluated the effects of a school-based DML intervention on gross motor skill performance in these students. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control-group design was employed. Sixty students aged 10–16 years were randomly allocated to either a DML group (n=30) or a Conventional Practice group (n=30). Both groups completed an eight-week intervention consisting of three 45-minute sessions per week. Gross motor skills were assessed before and after the intervention using the Test of Gross Motor Development–Third Edition (TGMD-3). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Both groups improved significantly following the intervention; however, improvements were greater in the DML group. Significant group × time interaction effects were found for locomotor skills (F=47.81, p<.001), ball skills (F=42.73, p<.001), and total TGMD-3 score (F=58.94, p<.001). Total TGMD-3 scores increased by 29.5% in the DML group compared with 10.5% in the Conventional Practice group. DML appears more effective for enhancing gross motor skills and may improve participation in physical activity.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 11 September 2026

  • Receive Date 09 July 2026
  • Revise Date 03 September 2026
  • Accept Date 11 September 2026
  • First Publish Date 11 September 2026
  • Publish Date 11 September 2026