The SBAM program for the promotion of motor activities and physical education at the primary school in Apulia region. Monitoring children’s motor abilities and generalist and specialist teacher training

Aim: SBAM is a three-year regional program aimed at children of the third year of primary school and is composed of three sub-programs: physical education, education to the proper eating habits and active transport, through safe home-school paths. The aim of the present study is to present the three-year monitoring results and the modalities of the training process of general teachers and specialists. Methods: The sample is 15.231 children the first year (8 years); 14.147, the second year (9 y.), 13.362, the third (10 y.). Every year the children have performed four engine tests: standing long jump; shuttle run 10x4; medicine ball throw kg 1; 6 min walk test. The sample was subdivided according to gender and BMI differences (normal-weight, over-weight, obese). Specialist teachers have carried out the physical education classes with the teachers generalists (30 hours / year). Teacher training was conducted with theoretical lessons and research-action laboratories; teaching of styles and the assessment of skills and motor abilities have been deepened. Results: Apart from the descriptive statistics (M±DS), Student's T Test was carried out, in order to highlight the significant differences within the groups (p <.05). The annual data were organized into deciles. The results showed significant differences in the three groups (Nw-Ow-Ob) to 8,9,10 y. and in all motor tests. Conclusions: Primary school is the main context for learning motor competences and developing life skills (Castelli et al. 2014). The results show the evolution of motor abilities but the BMI increase corresponds to lower motor performance of children (Rauner et al.,2013). SBAM program has allowed to experience a joint training of specialist and generalist teachers to complement different and complementary areas.