THE EFFECTS OF GAME AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LESSONS IN CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of participation in game and physical activities lesson on the students with learning disabilities (LD) on academic achievement and exercise self-efficacy levels. Thirty male children with LD were included in the study. Two groups were formed from the participants. The first group was tthe Game and Physical Activity (GPA) Lesson (n = 15) and the second group was the control group (n = 15). The exercise self-efficacy levels of the group were determined by using the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESS) and the academic achievement was evaluated by using the "Academic Performance Evaluation Scale". T-test was used to examine differences between groups. To determine groups' exercise self-efficacy levels and the impact of GPA lesson on academic achievement Cohen's d was used. There was no statistically significant difference between the age and height values of LD children who participated in the GPA lesson and who did not participate in the GPA lesson. But, it was observed that there was a significant decrease in body weight and body mass index. However, There was a significant difference (p < 0.001) in the final test comparisons of exercise self-efficacy and academic achievement of students with special education who participated in the GPA lesson. Conclusion: The games and physical activities lesson of seems to be as effective means of increasing the exercise self-efficacy and academic success of children with learning disabilities.