Motor Competence in Rural Indonesian Children: Gender and Developmental Differences across Ages 7–12

Children in rural areas of Indonesia often face challenges in developing their motor competence (MC) due to limited access to quality physical education teachers, inadequate facilities, and the absence of structured motor development programs. MC has been recognized as a key determinant of physical, cognitive, and social development and a foundation for lifelong participation in physical activity. This study examined gender- and age-related differences in MC among rural Indonesian children aged 7–12 years using the modified Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK3+), providing updated reference data from a population that has received limited scholarly attention. A total of 281 children (139 girls, 142 boys) from two rural schools in West Sumatra participated in this cross-sectional study. MC was assessed through standardized KTK3+ subtests, and motor quotient (MQ) scores were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The results indicated significant main effects of age and gender on MC. MC scores increased consistently with age across all subtests (p < 0.005). Boys scored significantly higher than girls in eye–hand coordination (p < 0.05) and moving sideways (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 2.5% of boys and 2.8% of girls scored below the average MQ range. When compared with normative data collected decades ago, rural Indonesian children in the present study demonstrated scores within the normal range. These findings highlight the need to ensure equitable access to structured physical education and continuous motor development programs in rural areas. Addressing these disparities is essential to support healthy physical and psychological development among Indonesian children, rather than focusing solely on early high-performance athlete development.