MCMAP

The characteristics of children's motor competence in Portugal were recently described in detail through the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA). The need is to complete the panorama of long life, especially in adulthood and seniority. The complete overview of motor competence and the organization of a regular longitudinal assessment of children will make it possible to assess the trend of motor competence trajectories over the years and decades. This information is important to understand how the Portuguese population is acquiring or losing motor skills, a relevant and determining factor for an active and healthy lifestyle.

In addition, we intend to address the cross-cultural comparison of motor competence, namely through the assessment of children from other countries (e.g., Portuguese-speaking countries), whether in their country or in Portugal.

In a lifelong approach, this project investigates the relationship between motor competence - as a dynamic and multifaceted factor - with skill acquisition, learning and motor performance.

Keywords: Motor Competence; Skill Acquisition; Physical Ativity.

General objective:

• Characterize and understand the trajectories and trends of motor competence development, their potential relationship with skill acquisition, learning and motor performance, and their effects on active and healthy lifestyles.

Specific objective:

• to map the lifelong motor competence in Portugal;
• To cross-culturally compare the motor competence development.
• Investigate the effects of motor competence development levels in skill acquisition, learning and motor performance.

References

• Rodrigues, L. P., Luz, C., Cordovil, R., Pombo, A., & Lopes, V. P. (2022). Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) Scoring Method. Children, 9(11), 1769. MDPI AG. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/children9111769
• Rodrigues, L.P.; Luz, C.; Cordovil, R.; Mendes, R.; Alexandre, R.; Lopes, V.P. Siblings’ Influence on the Motor Competence of Preschoolers. Children 2021, 8, 204. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8030204
• Rodrigues, Luis P., Cordovil, Rita, Luz, Carlos & Lopes, Vitor P. (2021) Model invariance of the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) from early childhood to young adulthood, Journal of Sports Sciences, 39(20), 2353-2360. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2021.1932290
• Rodrigues, Luis P.; Luz, Carlos; Cordovil, Rita; Bezerra, Pedro; Silva, Bruno; Camões, Miguel; Lima, Ricardo (2019). Normative values of the motor competence assessment (MCA) from 3 to 23 years of age. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 22 (9): 1038-1043. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2019.05.009.
• Luz, C., Rodrigues, Luis P., Almeida, G., & Cordovil, R. (2016). Development and validation of a model of motor competence in children and adolescents. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 19(7), 568-572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2015.07.005

MSc/PhD students:

• 1 PhD student

Funded projects:

• Super-Quinas, 2023: Federação Portuguesa de Futebol.
• MOTIONS.

• International Motor Development Research Consortium: I-MDRC
• Federação Portuguesa de Futebol