Characteristics of 3 types of imitation movement during improvised expressive play in elementary school physical education class.

Abstract

　This study was conducted with the aim of providing new viewpoints for observing the imitation movements of children during expressive play by demonstrating differences in the movement characteristics of 3 types of imitation: “Imitation of a framework”, “Exaggerated imitation”, and “Original imitation”. Thirty elementary school children improvised an imitation of an elephant (as presented visually in a picture) using their whole body as expressive play in a physical education class. The children’s movements during their improvised imitation were then analyzed in two steps. First, 3 highly experienced dance researchers qualitatively assessed and classified the imitation movements made by the children into 3 types. Then, quantitative assessment of the 3 characteristic imitation movements was performed using motion analysis, and the viewpoints for classifying them were extracted using decision tree analysis.
　The viewpoints that were extracted to classify the types of imitation movement were “right hand movement”, “movement of the center of gravity”, “movement of the toes”, and “change in the angle of the trunk and head”. Based on these viewpoints, the features of the 3 types of imitation movement were determined. Although only “Imitation of a framework” had direct image movements (swinging of the arms) symbolizing the imitated object (i.e. the elephant’s trunk), it did not capture the texture of the imitated object, smaller movements of the central and terminal parts of the body being necessary. “Exaggerated imitation” had involved multiple direct image movements to represent the imitated object, and the children who adopted this approach moved dynamically from the center of the body, grasping the texture of the movement of the imitated object. “Original imitation” did not involve direct image movements of the imitated object, and instead the image had its own movements, moving from the center of the body with greater movement of the feet. These findings might be useful for classification of imitation movements and evaluation of improvisation in the expressive play of elementary school children during physical education class.