Muscle-Group Profiling of Gross Motor Skills in Front-Crawl Swimming Among Children Aged 4–5 Years

Abstract

Early childhood represents a critical window for the development of gross motor skills; however, most swimming-based assessments in young children rely on a single aggregate score that obscures the contribution of specific muscle groups. This study aimed to profile gross motor skills in children aged 4–5 years during front-crawl swimming by disaggregating performance into three domains: arm movement (pull–push and bilateral stroke), leg movement (flutter kick), and body/core control (horizontal alignment, balance, and rotational control). A descriptive quantitative design was employed involving 11 participants from Kodok Ijo Swimming Club, selected through total sampling. Data were collected through structured observation using a validated 12-descriptor rubric scored on a four-point scale, supported by semi-structured interviews and photographic documentation. Instrument validity was confirmed using Pearson product–moment correlation (r = 0.676–0.951; r-table = 0.602), while internal consistency demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.939). Descriptive percentage analysis was used to categorize performance levels. The findings revealed that leg movement achieved the highest score (90.9%, very good), followed by arm movement (81.3%, good) and body/core control (74.4%, good). At the individual level, 54.5% of children were categorized as very good, 27.3% as good, and 18.2% required intensive follow-up. In conclusion, front-crawl swimming is a developmentally appropriate activity that supports gross motor development in early childhood, while the proposed muscle-group profiling rubric provides a practical diagnostic tool for identifying priority areas such as core stability and shoulder-arm control in coaching practice.