Using Convergent Parallel Design Mixed Method to Assess the Usage of Multi-Touch Hand Gestures Towards Fine Motor Skills Among Pre-School Children

The Convergent Parallel Design mixed method is used as the research methodology to assess the usage of multi-touch hand gestures towards fine motor skills among preschool children. This study involved 30 pre-school children aged between 5 to 6 years old from Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam. The samples are divided into multi-touch gestures group and single touch gestures group. The quantitative data were the test scores of a dot-to-dot activity and the qualitative data were the preschool children's emergent behaviors while engaging with mobile apps and controlling writing instruments. The quantitative data were analyzed by using independent sample T-Test and paired sample T-Test. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between the two groups as the independent sample T-Test indicate the value of sig, p = 0.029. The paired sample T-Test also indicate that the pre-test score and post-test score are significantly positive correlated (r = 0.503) and the value of sig, p = 0.005 showed that there is significance difference between pre-test score and post-test score. The statistical data proved that there is an effect of the use multi-touch hand gesture in mobile application towards pre-school children's fine motor skills which is also supported by qualitative findings. As for conclusion, the use of multi-touch hand gestures can help the pre-school children to implement small movements of their fingers which indirectly develop their fine motor skills thus helping them holding and using pencils and some other instruments appropriately.