Middle School Girls’ Science Attitudes and Performance

Abstract

Powerful experiences cause the human brain to perform multiple operations simultaneously when stimulated by environmental change. The executive functions network delivers this information subconsciously and the neural networks of the brain coordinate to plan, motivate, and regulate goal directed behavior. Skills associated with the capacity to perform well in science are highly dependent upon abilities that fall under executive functioning. PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between standardized measures of fitness, cognition, self-efficacy, attitudes, and academic achievement in science. It was hypothesized that increased aerobic fitness contributes to improvement in executive functioning processes involved in science learning and attitudes. METHODS: N = 29 female students in grades 6-8 were drawn from the I-Tri Transformation Through Triathlon (I-Tri) program for at-risk adolescent girls. The program combined self-esteem building lessons, nutrition and health science education once per week for ten weeks during the school day and after school activities such as triathlon specific training (swim, bike, run) and yoga. The participants met with the program facilitators and certified trainers twice per week for twenty weeks with a culminating sprint triathlon (300 yard swim, 7 mile bike and 1.5 mile run). Pre/post quantitative data were collected over the twenty-week period to assess growth in students’ science content knowledge, attitudes, motivation, and select cognitive variables of executive function with validated measures. Paired sample t-tests were performed to test significance. RESULTS: Significant gains were evident in science achievement (Mean Difference = 1.38, t28 = 2.53, p < 0.05), attitudes towards science (MD = 4.8, t28 = 1.71, p < 0.05) and most indicators of executive function (MD = -10.5, t25 = 1.82, p < 0.05). Pre/post run times (MD = -84.3, t28 = 3.46, p < 0.01) and swim times (MD = -15.3, t25 = 3.40, p < 0.01) were significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS: Middle school girls improved their knowledge of science, their attitudes towards science, metacognition, processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and resistance to external stimuli as a result of the intervention.