Students Ahmad Kmail, Zahraa Naeem Abed, and Nour Abdullah, from the Faculty of Sport Sciences at the Arab American University, presented a research paper as part of their graduation project, entitled "The Impact of Small Games on Focus and Attention Variables in the 6-10 Age Group." In their paper, they emphasized the necessity of including regular physical education classes for this age group in Palestinian schools to support focus and attention, develop children's motor and cognitive skills, and encourage physical education teachers to implement targeted and well-planned sports programs.
The research paper was presented as their graduation project to their supervisor, Dr. Siba Jarrar, and the discussion committee, which included Dr. Islam Abbas and Dr. Oday Daraghmeh. They indicated that the aim of this study was to identify the impact of small games on the focus and attention variables in children aged six to ten years, in light of the cancellation and reduction of physical education classes in Palestinian schools, and the resulting negative effects on children's motor and mental development.
The students explained that the study stemmed from field observations made during their practical training at the school. These observations revealed weaknesses in motor coordination, slow response times to instructions, and low levels of focus and attention among the students.
The students employed an experimental design in their study, which was conducted with 70 male and female students from the third and fourth grades at a school. The study lasted for five weeks, with three sessions per week. The study variables were measured using pre- and post-tests, as well as structured behavioral observations, including the time spent playing the games and the total session time.
The study demonstrated the effectiveness of small-scale games in combining physical and mental stimulation, thus contributing to the development of children's executive functions. It also showed that using time as a measure is a practical and appropriate tool for measuring improvements in focus and attention within the school environment.
The students emphasized the importance of the study, as it highlights the effectiveness of small-scale games within the Palestinian educational context and provides a scientific basis for developing physical education programs and extracurricular activities.
In their research, the students recommended the need to design sports programs that include cognitively and motor-stimulating games, taking into account the different levels of students and their developmental needs, and to integrate physical activity with cognitive activities within school lessons to enhance the executive functions of the brain, develop children’s self-learning skills, and emphasize the need to provide continuous training for teachers on how to effectively implement cognitive sports activities, to ensure the best results for students, and the need to monitor the impact of sports programs on children’s academic and behavioral performance to support evidence-based educational decisions.
