Influence Of Location And Gender On Performance Of Selected Motor Skills Among Secondary School Student
[AWKA SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ANAMBRA STATE]

CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The purpose of the study was to find out the effect of location and gender on performance of selected motor skills among secondary school students in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. The findings of the student results were discussed in this chapter. Also highlighted were conclusion, educational implications, recommendations and suggestions for further research.
The discussion was organized under these headings:
1)    The effect of rural and urban areas on male students motor skill performance.
2)    The effect of urban and rural areas on female students motor skill performance.
3)    The    effect    of    male    and    female    on    motor    skill performance.
The Effect of Urban and Rural Areas on Male Students Motor Skill Performance
The urban male students performed better than rural male students in 50 metres dash and 10 metres shuttle run, due to the fact that the schools in urban areas are characterized by availability of modern amenities, equipment and the inhabitants are mostly government workers and businessmen. These workers and businessmen understand the importance and value of sports. They equally contributed in building the modern equipment such as laboratory equipment, which facilitate teaching and learning exercise. Furthermore, students in these urban schools are normally selected based on their performances in common entrance examinations. Teachers in these schools are usually qualified ones. School environment affects academic and skill performance for we never educate directly but indirectly by means of environment and the child is the product of his total environment (Aigbomian, 1997). Rural male students performed badly in 50 metres dash and 10 metres shuttle run because the rural children are definitely inferior in general ability when compared with a group of urban children (Terman & Merril Bar 1990). Again, there are skill inequalities in education between rural and urban students due to differences of social class, religious belief and individual abilities (Aigbomian, 1997).
The Effect of Urban and Rural Area on Female Students’ Motor Skill Performance
Urban environment with its characteristics turbulent confusions, insecurity and high rate of both adult and juvenile delinquencies is not conducive to the academic pursuits as well as motor skill performance of young children, hence they achieve lower than their rural counterparts even when infrastructures are in good supply (Brembeck, 1991).
Furthermore, in large urban centres, temperatures tends to be higher, but the humidity of the air is often lower than in rural areas (Bidwell & Kasarda, 1995). The reasons above made the urban female students not to excel in 50 metres dash and 10 metres shuttle run.
The Effect of Male and Female Students on Motor Skill Performance
The performance differences between males and females in body structure and physiological capacities showed that females could not perform at the same level as males. For instance, in tasks requiring high level strength, agility, muscles endurance or physical work capacity, these differences helped the male students to excel especially in 50 metres dash better than the female students, (Cureton, Hensley & Tiburzil, 1979). Furthermore, Hebbelink and Day (1979) stated that the differences in the male and female centre of gravity have much effect on motor skill performance. The male students have greater height, broader shoulders and narrower hips than the female students. These enabled them to perform better than the female students in standing broad jump. In addition, they emphasized that talented female athletes records are not properly taken in the rural school areas. This is as a result of distortion in our society, the enforced segregation of these activities and the gross neglect of providing facilities for the majority of rural school areas. Our society expects women to operate in home- bound and home-related activities. These equally contributed to female students poor performances in 50 metres dash and standing broad jump. In addition, Okeke (2001) emphasized that cooperative learning style produce better performance in science as well as in physical education among the females and this helped them to excel in 10 metres shuttle run.
Conclusion
The following conclusions were drawn based on the findings of this study.
Table 1 showed that in 50metres dash rural girls mean score was less than mean score of urban girls, thus rural girls performed better than urban girls. In standing broad jump the mean score of the urban girls was greater than the rural girls’ mean score, and therefore, the urban girls performed better than rural girls. Furthermore, in 10 metres shuttle run, rural girls mean score was less than urban girls mean score and they performed better than urban girls. Table 5 concluded that in 50 metres dash urban boys mean score was less than rural boys mean score and urban boys performed better than rural boys. In standing broad jump rural boys mean score was greater than the mean score of urban boys and the rural boys performed better than the urban boys. Again in 10 metres shuttle run the mean score of the urban boys was less than the mean score of the rural boys. This indicated that the urban boys performed better than rural boys.
In addition, Table 9 indicated that the mean score of
boys was less than the mean score of girls in 50 metres dash. Thus boys performed better than girls. In standing broad jump mean score of the boys was greater than that of girls. Therefore, boys performed better than girls. Finally, in 10 metres shuttle run the mean score of the girls was less than the boys’ mean score. This implies that the girls performed better than the boys.
Recommendation
Based on the findings and conclusions drawn on this study, the following recommendations are made:
The coaches, physical education instructors and games masters/mistresses should create awareness of the importance and value of physical education in the rural areas. Placement of students and staff in secondary schools should be done randomly so that there will be an even distribution of both high and low achievers in all schools to discourage the concentration of only high or low achievers in some schools. Basic amenities such as pipe borne water, electricity, good roads and staff quarters should be provided by the government so that the teaching staff can take up appointments in the rural schools in developing good study habits to maximize their performances. The three tiers of government should make efforts to control both adult and juvenile delinquencies in urban areas to enhance teaching and learning in the areas.
Educational Implications
The result of this study has some educational implications.
It has provided the coaches, physical educators opportunity to create awareness of importance and value of physical education in the rural areas. The study has shown that the use of sports equipment and materials will facilitate teaching and learning exercise. This implies that the principals and games masters/mistresses in rural areas should apply to Government for the provision of the equipment and materials. It has indicated that cooperative learning style produce better performance in physical education among female. This suggested the need for coaches and physical education instructors to take very good record of developing female athletes in the rural schools, which will aid them to identify their talents.
Finally, this research work will also serve as a guide, resource materials, and reference materials to other students who may wish to undertake a research on this very topic or related topic in future. It will also introduce them to the new techniques.
Suggestions For Further Research
1.    Replicate    this    study    using    various    exercises    and environment.
2.    Explore the effect of location and gender on the male and female students on other motor skills.
3.    Examine the influences of other factors on the motor skill performance.