A new idea in skill acquisition of children: coordinating motor competence with motor learning strategies.

Background: Motor competence (MC) plays a fundamental role in physical development and the acquisition of complex motor skills during early childhood. Moreover, the type of instructional method can significantly influence both the trajectory and the quality of this learning process. Accordingly, the present study aimed to examine the role of MC in learning the futsal shooting skill under three different instructional approaches, Linear Pedagogy (LP), Nonlinear Pedagogy (NLP), and Differential Learning (DL), in preschool children.

Methods: Ninety-six healthy children (mean age = 6.06 ± 0.20 years) were assessed for MC using the BOT-2SF and subsequently categorized into high and low competence groups. Participants were then randomly assigned to one of six instructional groups. The study design included a pre-test, ten training sessions, a post-test, a retention test, and a transfer test. Data were analyzed using mixed ANOVA and LSD post hoc tests.

Results: The results revealed that both instructional method and MC level had a significant impact on learning, retention, and transfer of the futsal shooting skill (p < 0.001). The NLP outperformed the other methods in all test phases. Additionally, children with higher MC consistently achieved better performance across all instructional methods. Ultimately, the combination of high MC and NLP produced the most effective learning outcomes, indicating an optimal alignment between individual capability and instructional strategy.

Conclusions: Based on these findings, it can be concluded that MC not only facilitates the learning process but also influences how children respond to different teaching methods. These results can support the design of more targeted instructional and training programs in physical education, rehabilitation, and youth sports. Furthermore, future research is encouraged to explore the long-term effects and broader applicability of these methods across various ages, cultural contexts, and motor skills.