Ngatman Ngatman, Sugiyanto Sugiyanto, Nevitaningrum Nevitaningrum, Dalu Danangjaya, Muhamad Nanang Solikhin
Background and Study Aim Slow learners in inclusive junior high schools often face difficulties in developing gross motor skills and possess limited nutritional literacy. Both aspects are essential for fostering independence in daily functioning and promoting a healthy lifestyle. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of active physical education-based nutrition learning in improving gross motor skills and nutritional literacy among slow learners. Material and Methods This quasi-experimental study involved 40 slow learners from an inclusive junior high school. Participants were assigned to two balanced groups. The experimental group (n = 20; 10 females, 10 males) received active physical education-based nutrition learning. The control group (n = 20; 10 females, 10 males) received conventional instruction without treatment. Instruments included the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) to assess gross motor skills and a multiple-choice test to measure nutritional literacy. The prerequisite analyses included the Shapiro–Wilk test (normality), Levene’s test (homogeneity of variance), and Box’s M test (homogeneity of covariance). The hypotheses were tested using MANCOVA. Results The MANCOVA results showed a significant treatment effect on both gross motor skills and nutritional literacy, with substantial effect sizes (partial η² = 0.956 for TGMD-2 and 0.903 for nutritional literacy). The pre-test covariate for TGMD-2 significantly influenced motor skills (F = 59.23; p < 0.001), while the pre-test for nutritional literacy was not significant. Conclusions Active physical education-based nutrition learning effectively improves both gross motor skills and nutritional literacy among slow learners in junior high school. This approach is recommended as an integrative strategy in inclusive education to support physical and cognitive development. © Ngatman, Sugiyanto, Nevitaningrum, Dalu Danangjaya, Muhamad Nanang Solikhin, 2025.
Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Sports Science and Health, Yogyakarta State University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Sports, Sebelas Maret University, Central Java, Surakarta, Indonesia; Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Siliwangi University, West Java, Tasikmalaya, Indonesia; Department of Traditional Indonesian Medicine, Faculty of Sports Science and Health, Yogyakarta State University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
