Impact of the “Thinking while Moving in English” intervention on primary school children’s academic outcomes and physical activity: A cluster randomised controlled trial

Abstract

This study examines the impact of a classroom-based physical activity intervention on primary school students’ academic outcomes and physical activity levels. Students (N = 283) from nine primary schools located in New South Wales, Australia were randomly allocated to a control (n = 5 schools) or Thinking while Moving in English (TWM-E) (n = 4 schools) conditions. Teachers delivered three 40-min physically active English lessons per week for six weeks. The control condition continued with the usual lessons. For both conditions, assessments occurred at baseline and post-test. The TWM-E group displayed improved on-task behaviour, and improved grammar and punctuation scores. Despite minimal effect on overall physical activity levels, active lessons have important benefits for students’ on-task behaviour and literacy.