Vol. 8, Issue 1, Part B (2026)

This study aimed to identify the impact of a structured physical education (PE) program on gross motor skill development among preschool children in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka using a quantitative quasi-experimental design. A total of 220 preschool children participated in the study, with 200 assigned to an experimental group and 20 to a control group. The experimental group engaged in a structured Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2)-based PE program for six months, while the control group continued with routine preschool activities. Gross motor skills were assessed using the TGMD-2, focusing on locomotor skills, object control skills, and overall motor performance. Pre-test and post-test scores were analyzed using Mixed Analysis of Variance (Mixed ANOVA), with Time (pre vs. post) as the within-subjects factor and Group (experimental vs. control) as the between-subjects factor.
The experimental group demonstrated a marked improvement in locomotor skills, with mean locomotor total scores increasing from 13.63 (SD=6.49) at pre-test to 23.84 (SD=6.43) at post-test, representing a gain of 10.21 points. In contrast, the control group showed only a marginal increase from 8.70 (SD=5.42) to 9.45 (SD=4.74). Mixed ANOVA results revealed a significant main effect of Time for locomotor total (F=28.24, p<.001) and a significant Group × Time interaction (F=21.04, p<.001). Significant interaction effects were also observed for gallop (F=4.59, P=.033) and hop (F=4.20, p=.042). Object control skills, the experimental group’s total score increased from 20.33 (SD=7.25) to 24.63 (SD=5.99), while the control group showed no change (22.65). A significant Time effect and Group × Time interaction were found for object control total (F=4.37, P=.038), although between-group differences were not significant. These findings provide strong empirical evidence that structured, developmentally appropriate PE programs significantly enhance preschool children’s gross motor development, particularly locomotor skills, supporting their integration into early childhood education curricula.