| Purpose. The purpose of my study was threefold. First, I evaluated the effectiveness of the sensory motor lab on the improvement of fine and gross motor skills of third-grade students served in both general education and special education settings at a rural elementary school in central Texas. Second, I evaluated the effectiveness of the sensory motor lab on the improvement of academic achievement of third-grade students served in both general education and special education settings at a rural elementary school in central Texas. Third, I investigated the perceptions third-grade teachers have of the sensory motor lab related to the improvement of fine and gross motor skills and academic achievement of third-grade students in both general education and special education settings who participate in the sensory motor lab.;Method. A mixed methods design was used as I gathered both quantitative data and qualitative data, which allowed for the triangulation of the data to strengthen the credibility of the findings (Creswell, 2008; Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003). Similarly, using a mixed methods design provided a better understanding of the effectiveness of the motor lab (Creswell, 2008). The quantitative analysis was conducted by using two different statistical analyses to analyze and report the data. A mixed design repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to measure the progress of fine motor skill development and academic progress from Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3. Further, means and standard deviations were reported for each station in the motor lab so that specific and standard deviations were reported for each station in the motor lab so that specific progress on fine and gross motor skills could be reported in terms of numbers and percentages.;The qualitative analysis consisted of interviews with the third-grade teachers who participated in the implementation of the sensory motor lab. Each interview lasted 30 minutes. The interviews were tape recorded, transcribed, and coded for theme development. The findings were reported from the themes that developed from the coding exercise.;Findings. Statistical analyses revealed that all students in the study improved their fine and gross motor skills over time by participating in a sensory motor lab, and the findings were true for students served in general or special education settings. Analysis of the data also indicated improvement in math and reading scores over time for all students that participated in the motor lab intervention. Specifically in math general education students improved more than special education students, and in reading all students improved similarly. Interviews conducted with the third-grade teachers revealed that the perceptions of the teachers were motivated by professional interest, personal interests, and concern for children.;Keywords. accountability, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, response to intervention, sensory motor lab, and special education. |
