Physical Education Intervention Research Articles

Systematic Review of Physical Education-Based Physical Activity Interventions Among Elementary School Children.

Physical education (PE)-based interventions are a popular method to target children's physical activity (PA) and fitness; however, little is known about their effectiveness or what factors lead to successful interventions. This paper: (1) systematically reviews studies examining PE interventions designed to impact PA, fitness, and/or body composition; and (2) makes recommendations for new research directions based upon these findings. Our systematic review was limited to experimental and quasi-experimental studies conducted in elementary schools. We conducted literature searches using predetermined keywords in 3 databases, identified a total of 4964 potentially relevant studies, and screened their abstracts and full texts for eligibility. This resulted in 12 relevant studies. We used criteria established by Downs and Black (1998) to assess each study's methodological quality. PE interventions consistently showed increases in moderate-to-vigorous PA or vigorous PA during PE class but were less consistent in impacting leisure-time PA. PE interventions affected body composition differentially, depending on the assessment used (i.e., body mass index or skinfold thickness). Half of the studies assessing fitness did not show a significant impact; however, those that did were designed to influence fitness outcomes. Few studies assessed psychosocial determinants regarding PA, and no study demonstrated significant impacts on constructs other than knowledge. Interventions often contained multiple components (e.g., diet, family) implemented alongside PE interventions. Identifying effective intervention components was difficult due to lack of process evaluation. We identify the need for future research to use more objective and accurate PA measurements and adiposity, incorporate measurement of psychological constructs, expand interventions' theoretical basis, and include strong process evaluation.

The Effects of a Physical Education Intervention to Support the Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs on the Motivation and Intentions to be Physically Active.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of an intervention to support the basic psychological needs on the satisfaction of these needs, intrinsic motivation, intention to be physically active and some enjoyment-related outcomes in Physical Education. The present study incorporated strategies presented by Standage and Ryan (2012) in a previous study. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with two groups (nexperimental = 30; ncontrol = 23) of 2nd year Secondary Education students aged between 13 and 15 (M = 13.35, SD = .62) by delivering 24 physical education classes. The teacher in the experimental group underwent prior and continual training. The results revealed that the students from the experimental group showed a significant increase in the perception of autonomy and competence. Furthermore, the experimental group showed a greater perception than the control group in the enjoyment related to learning and contents. These results provide information about the efficacy of an intervention programme based on the strategies presented by Standage and Ryan (2012) to foster satisfaction of basic psychological needs and facilitate support for basic psychological needs to promote the development of positive learning-related outcomes.

An internet-supported school physical activity intervention in low socioeconomic status communities: results from the Activity and Motivation in Physical Education (AMPED) cluster randomised controlled trial

ObjectiveQuality physical education (PE) is the cornerstone of comprehensive school physical activity (PA) promotion programmes. We tested the efficacy of a teacher professional learning intervention, delivered partially via the internet,...

A Conceptual Framework for Tiered Intervention in Physical Education

Our goal as physical educators is to help all students develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be physically active for a lifetime. Despite efforts to address the diverse needs of students through quality physical education, the reality is that some students still need additional support beyond physical education to achieve their full potential. Response to intervention (RTI) is a proactive approach to educational-service delivery that relies on data-driven decision making to identify student needs and to tailor support. Traditionally, RTI has focused on addressing the needs of lower-performing students through tiered interventions. The purpose of this article is to review the basic principles of RTI, discuss how they have been applied in physical education thus far, and expand the conceptual framework so it can be used to address the needs of both higher- and lower-performing students.

“Watch Britain”: Movement Education, Transnational Exchanges, and the Contested Terrain of Physical Education in Mid-Twentieth-Century Canada

Abstract The notion that exercise is medicine dominated Canadian physical education in its nineteenth-century inception and continued to circulate through fitness discourses despite the introduction of movement education in the mid-twentieth century, which offered more progressive methods of child-centered teaching. Canada’s approach to physical education in the postwar decades was affected by important transatlantic influences, not only in matters of national fitness but through numbers of émigrée female physical educators from Britain who played a significant role in the transfer and exchange of professional practices. Arriving in British Columbia—the end of the railway line—in the late 1950s and ’60s, these women promoted movement education and gained considerable traction in schools and colleges. Ultimately, however, an increasingly gendered discourse pitted the female-centered tradition of child-centered movement education against a growing appetite for competitive sport-skill-based forms of physical education and biopedagogical interventions supported by an evidence-based medicine approach.

A Physical Education Intervention Effects on Correlates of Physical Activity and Motivation.

The purpose of this study was to measure effects of a modified physical education (PE) unit on leisure time physical activity (LTPA), relative autonomy, and known correlates of LTPA in seventh-grade boys and girls. A seventh-grade mountain biking unit was modified to include instructional activities targeting known correlates of PA behavior following principles of Physical Education Dedicated to Physical Activity for Life (PEDAL). A three-group design (intervention, standard PE, no PE) was employed. Participants completed a survey at baseline, postintervention, and follow-up at 4 weeks. A total of 300 seventh graders (girls = 151) from two schools completed the surveys. Data suggest PE may influence certain correlates of and autonomous motivation for PA although results revealed no intervention main effects for continuous and noncontinuous dependent variables. Results also provide evidence of sport-specific skill being improved through physical education. While results of this study showed no main effects from the intervention, data suggest PE may influence certain correlates of and autonomous motivation for PA. This warrants attention toward autonomy supporting PE environments and instruction sensitive to autonomous motivation. Future studies should examine PEDAL-designed PE programs over an entire year or more.

Influence of a 2- to 6-year physical education intervention on scholastic performance: The CHAMPS study-DK.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of a school-based intervention with a tripling of physical education (PE) lessons from two (90minutes) to six lessons per week (270minutes) on scholastic performance. This study is part of the CHAMPS study-DK, a quasi-experimental study that began in 2008. The intervention group consisted of six schools, and the control group consisted of four matched schools (mean age at baseline=8.4years, kindergarten class fourth grade). Academic performance was extracted from the national test system from 2010 to 2014 (Math and Danish were measured at third and sixth, and second, fourth and sixth grades, respectively). Participants included 1888 students participating in at least one scholastic performance test. Linear mixed models were applied to test for differences between groups and adjusted for known confounders. No significant differences were observed between groups in the academic performance tests (control group reference); Danish second grade β=-1.34 (95% CI -9.90, 7.22), fourth grade β=0.22 (95% CI -6.12, 6.56), sixth grade β=1.03 (95% CI -5.02, 7.08), and all grades combined β=0.28 (95% CI -5.74, 6.31) and Math third grade β=-2.87 (95% CI -9.65, 3.90), sixth grade β=0.99 (95% CI -7.36, 9.34) and combined β=-1.20 (95% CI -8.10, 5.71). In conclusion, no significant differences were observed between intervention and control schools for scholastic performance. Importantly, there were no negative effects of additional PE on scholastic outcomes, despite more PE and longer school days for intervention children.

The Comparative Study on the Intervention of College Students’ Physical Quality

Using the teaching experiment, the paper randomly select fifty school boys, and observe the intervention to enhance the actual effect of College Students' physical fitness by physical education intervention of 800m run, independent teaching, exercise prescription teaching, guide students to carry out health lectures, scientific diet control. The results showed that the students' strength, speed and endurance were improved, and the intervention effect was significant. So that the disadvantaged groups of college students can be improved in the physical and mental health, and then realize the concept of people-oriented in college physical education teaching.

Physical education: clear and present benefits and responsibilities. The Fritz Duras memorial lecture 2017

ABSTRACTA habitually active environment is a feature of past times, and in stark contrast with that experienced by our children today. Consequently, twenty-first century physical education (PE) assumes a position of great responsibility. This is especially true in primary schools; a premise recently strongly supported by published evidence from the Australian LOOK randomised controlled trial. This trial, consisting of an intervention of specialist-conducted PE over four years, extends on previous research to clearly demonstrate reduction in the early appearance of risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in boys and girls, together with evidence of beneficial structural development in the bone and left ventricle of girls. In addition, the children undertaking the specialist PE enjoyed a substantially increased progression in nationally assessed numeracy and literacy. Of concern, however, is that these benefits were in relation to a control group of PE taught by classroom teachers, who usually assume responsibility for PE in at least four days of the week. To address this, an economically realistic scheme is being trialled to provide primary schools with the means of delivering the quality and quantity of PE commensurate with the demonstrated benefits.

A Theory-Based Physical Education Intervention for Adolescents with Visual Impairments

Regular physical activity participation can have a positive impact on overall health. However, school-aged individuals with visual impairments tend to be less physically active than their peers without disabilities (Haegele & Porretta, 2015). Fortunately, preliminary intervention research suggests that physical activity levels of those with visual impairments can be improved (Haegele & Porretta, 2015). For example, Cervantes and Porretta (2013), using a social cognitive theory-based intervention, examined the effect of an after-school physical activity program on adolescents with visual impairments. Their study offered a nine-lesson program to four students at a residential school over a five-week period. Results indicated that leisure-time physical activity levels were enhanced by the intervention (Cervantes & Porretta, 2013). Social cognitive theory is considered among the most acceptable models for understanding health promotion behavior (Motl, 2007). It is a general theory of human behavior that stipulates that people are active agents in their own lives as they generate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (Bandura, 2001). The model of causation which is central to social cognitive theory is triadic reciprocal determinism, which suggests that one's behavior, personal factors, and environmental influences influence each other bi-directionally (see Figure 1; Bandura, 2001; Motl, 2007). The reciprocal nature of human functioning in social cognitive theory allows researchers to direct interventions at several interrelated constructs in order to change behaviors. Common constructs exploring influences of physical activity behavior, central to the program implemented by Cervantes and Porretta (2013) and to this study, are self-efficacy, self-regulation, outcome expectancies, and social support. The need to increase physical activity at an early age has stimulated the development of school-based interventions for all students. Research suggests that school-based interventions can successfully increase physical activity (Kriemler et al., 2011). However, few studies focusing on individuals with visual impairments have been conducted. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a social cognitive theory-based physical education program on the leisure-time physical activity among adolescents with visual impairments. In this study, the successful social cognitive theory-based after-school program utilized by Cervantes and Porretta (2013) was implemented as a physical education program. Within the framework of social cognitive theory and triadic reciprocal determinism, this study sought to enhance participants' personal factors (self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and self-regulation) and environmental influences (social support) in order to impact their behavior (that is, physical activity participation). Methods Participants Four participants (two males and two females), aged 15 to 17 years and attending a Midwestern residential school for blind students, were purposively sampled based on: (a) not being enrolled in another physical activity intervention, (b) not being active members of interscholastic sport, (c) having no ambulation-related disabilities, and (d) having the ability to wear Fitbit Zip devices throughout the day. Participants were selected from two physical education classes: first period (participants 3 and 4) and ninth period (participants 1 and 2). Characteristics of the participants are presented in Table 1. Setting The intervention was delivered during the physical education class period in either the gymnasium or the health education room. During after-school hours, participants had access to physical activity opportunities that were available to them on a regular daily basis (for example, walking in the neighborhood). Intervention This study's intervention was modeled after an existing program, entitled for Exercise, Plan for Health (Stevens, 2006), and previously implemented by Cervantes and Porretta (2013). …

How do teachers need to be trained for physical education interventions to improve fundamental movement skills and/or physical activity? A systematic review

How do teachers need to be trained for physical education interventions to improve fundamental movement skills and/or physical activity? A systematic review

Effects of different physical education programmes on children’s skill- and health-related outcomes: a pilot randomised controlled trial

ABSTRACTAim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two different 5-month physical education (PE) interventions conducted by a specialist PE teacher on primary school children’s skill- and health-related outcomes. About 230 children were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups: experimental_1 group, experimental_2 group or control group (school curriculum given by the generalist teacher). Pre- and post-intervention tests assessed pupils’ fitness (pacer, curl-up, push-up, trunk lift, sit and reach tests) and gross motor coordination (shifting platforms, balance beam, jumping laterally, hopping on one leg over an obstacle tests). Both experimental groups significantly improved some fitness and coordinative tests after the intervention period when compared with control group. However, no differential changes on coordinative development were observed between the 2 experimental groups. Results of this study demonstrated that children benefitted from a well-structured PE intervention conducted and supervised by a specialist PE teacher improving their motor skills and fitness.

Proposal for an Enhanced Physical Education Program in the Primary School: Evaluation of Feasibility and Effectiveness in Improving Physical Skills and Fitness.

A large proportion of children do not reach the recommended levels of physical activity for health. A quasiexperimental study with nonrandom assignment was performed to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a school-based physical education intervention aimed at increasing the levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Ten classes from 4 primary schools, including 241 children aged 8 to 10 years, were recruited. The experimental group (n = 97) received 4 additional sessions/week of 60 minutes of MVPA for 8 months. The control group (n = 135) continued their standard program (2 sessions of 50 minutes/week). Motor abilities (standing long jump, handgrip strength, Harre circuit, sit and reach), physical fitness (Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level-1), anthropometric measures (body mass index, waist to height ratio), and self-efficacy (Perceived Physical Ability Scale for Children) were evaluated at baseline and after the intervention. The experimental group significantly improved in the Harre circuit both in males (P < .001) and females (P < .01), whereas physical fitness test improved only in males (P < .001). Males in the experimental group improved the perception of self-efficacy in coordinative abilities (P = .017). The proposed school-based MVPA program showed effectiveness and feasibility. The differences observed by gender highlight the need to use different strategies to increase the involvement of all the participants.

Characteristics of Teacher Training in School-Based Physical Education Interventions to Improve Fundamental Movement Skills and/or Physical Activity: A Systematic Review.

Fundamental movement skill (FMS) competence is positively associated with physical activity (PA). However, levels of both FMS and PA are lower than expected. Current reviews of interventions to improve FMS and PA have shown that many school-based programs have achieved positive outcomes, yet the maintenance of these interventions is variable. Teachers play a central role in the success and longevity of school-based interventions. Despite the importance of teacher engagement, research into the nature and quality of teacher training in school-based PA and FMS interventions has received little attention. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the type and quantity of teacher training in school-based physical education PA and/or FMS interventions, and to identify what role teacher training had on the intervention outcome. A systematic search of eight electronic databases was conducted. Publication date restrictions were not implemented in any database, and the last search was performed on 1 March 2015. School physical education-based interventions facilitated by a school teacher, and that included a quantitative assessment of FMS competence and/or PA levels were included in the review. The search identified 39 articles. Eleven of the studies measured FMS, 25 studies measured PA and three measured both FMS and PA. Nine of the studies did not report on any aspect of the teacher training conducted. Of the 30 studies that reported on teacher training, 25 reported statistically significant intervention results for FMS and/or PA. It appears that teacher training programs: are ≥ 1 day; provide comprehensive subject and pedagogy content; are framed by a theory or model; provide follow-up or ongoing support; and measure teacher satisfaction of the training, are more effective at improving student outcomes in FMS and/or PA. However, the provision of information regarding the characteristics of the teacher training was largely inadequate. Therefore, it was difficult to ascertain which teacher training characteristics were most important in relation to intervention effectiveness. It is clear that whilst teachers are capable of making substantial improvements in student outcomes in PA and FMS, the findings of this review suggest the teacher training component of school-based PA and/or FMS interventions is not only under-reported but is under-studied, and, perhaps as a result, the value of teacher training is not widely understood. What remains unclear, due to poor reporting, is what role teacher training is having on these outcomes.

A didactic analysis of content development during Cooperative Learning in primary physical education

The purpose of this study was to use the Joint Action Studies in Didactics (JASD) to understand how teachers’ and students’ interactions co-construct knowledge during Cooperative Learning (CL). The basis of CL is that students learn with and from each other through a structured interdependent relationship. A case study approach was used to examine how a group of three year-5 students and their teacher from an ethnically diverse primary school in New Zealand co-constructed knowledge within a 3-month CL intervention in physical education. The JASD protocol included collecting data on the teacher’s intention, practical epistemology and student interactions as they engaged in CL task structures. Data analysis included a search for patterns in the evolution of the didactic contract of content learned as students interacted in the co-construction of knowledge. Findings revealed that the CL tasks provided a pedagogical structure where student interactions were generally aligned with the didactic intent of the tasks. The teaching techniques of the student coach served to make the development of content more dynamic, with an increased frequency of breaches in the didactic contract. This dynamic may facilitate student learning during productive group problem-solving tasks. When the intended content was more specifically defined, the topogenetic technique of teacher intervention within tasks was critical to re-align students’ interpretation of the knowledge at stake in the CL tasks.

Effects of combined physical education and nutritional programs on schoolchildren's healthy habits.

Background. A multidisciplinary approach seems to be effective in creating healthy habits in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of three 5-month combined physical education (PE) and nutritional interventions on body composition, physical activity (PA) level, sedentary time and eating habits of schoolchildren.Methods. Anthropometric data, weekly PA level, sedentary time and eating habits of 230 healthy students were analysed using a repeated-measures ANOVA with Group (experimental group 1 vs experimental group 2 vs control group), Adiposity Status (under fat vs normal fat vs obese), and Time (pre vs post) as factors.Results. Body fat mass percentage increased after intervention (18.92 ± 8.61% vs 19.40 ± 8.51%) in all groups. The weekly PA level significantly increased after intervention in both experimental groups. Sedentary time significantly decreased after the intervention period (565.70 ± 252.93 vs 492.10 ± 230.97 min/week, p < 0.0001). Moreover, obese children were more sedentary than under fat and normal fat children. Children significantly changed the consumption of some specific foods after intervention.Discussion. This study revealed the effectiveness of a combined PE and nutritional intervention to improve children’s healthful dietary practices and to encourage an active lifestyle. However, it needs a further appropriate development to establish patterns of healthful dietary practices that encourage an active lifestyle with which to maintain healthy habits through life.

Factors Associated with Health-Related Physical Fitness among Junior High School Students in Taiwan

Several studies have suggested health-related physical fitness (HRPF) as an important health marker and closely associated with overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. However, the relationship among HRPF and exercise habits, weight status, and fitness attitude remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to explore the possible factors, including knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy and weight status, and how these factors could affect HRPF among junior high school students in Taiwan. A total of 1,628 valid participants from 7th, 8th and 9th grades were selected based on the stratified cluster random sampling throughout Taiwan. The fitness and Affecting Factors in Physical Fitness Survey data were collected in 2011. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression with backward elimination were adopted to examine the significance of data. The result showed that roughly one third (35.6%) of Taiwanese junior high school students reached 4 standards of HRPF, all items are above 25th percentile. The logistic regression model revealed that the strongest relationship with HRPF was weight status, and exercise habits were significantly influenced HRPF tests among male and female students. Furthermore, knowledge and self-efficacy showed significant positive effects on HRPF among female students, while only attitude had positive influence on HRPF among male students. Results also demonstrated the urban-rural difference on HRPF. To be specific, female students from North Taiwan showed better HRPF than female students from East, while male students from East obtained better HRPF than male students from North. In addition, male students in North also exhibited better HRPF compared to male students in South. Therefore, these findings suggest that government should contemplate the urban-rural difference on HRPF, schools should enforce physical education curriculum and interventions should focus on strengthening of fitness knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy to develop regular exercise habit to decrease the obesity rate and to further improve HRPF among junior high school students in Taiwan.

Deliberate Play and Preparation Jointly Benefit Motor and Cognitive Development: Mediated and Moderated Effects.

In light of the interrelation between motor and cognitive development and the predictive value of the former for the latter, the secular decline observed in motor coordination ability as early as preschool urges identification of interventions that may jointly impact motor and cognitive efficiency. The aim of this study was twofold. It (1) explored the outcomes of enriched physical education (PE), centered on deliberate play and cognitively challenging variability of practice, on motor coordination and cognitive processing; (2) examined whether motor coordination outcomes mediate intervention effects on children’s cognition, while controlling for moderation by lifestyle factors as outdoor play habits and weight status. Four hundred and sixty children aged 5–10 years participated in a 6-month group randomized intervention in PE, with or without playful coordinative and cognitive enrichment. The weight status and spontaneous outdoor play habits of children (parental report of outdoor play) were evaluated at baseline. Before and after the intervention, motor developmental level (Movement Assessment Battery for Children) was evaluated in all children, who were then assessed either with a test of working memory (Random Number Generation task), or with a test of attention (from the Cognitive Assessment System). Children assigned to the ‘enriched’ intervention showed more pronounced improvements in all motor coordination assessments (manual dexterity, ball skills, static/dynamic balance). The beneficial effect on ball skills was amplified by the level of spontaneous outdoor play and weight status. Among indices of executive function and attention, only that of inhibition showed a differential effect of intervention type. Moderated mediation showed that the better outcome of the enriched PE on ball skills mediated the better inhibition outcome, but only when the enrichment intervention was paralleled by a medium-to-high level of outdoor play. Results suggest that specifically tailored physical activity (PA) games provide a unique form of enrichment that impacts children’s cognitive development through motor coordination improvement, particularly object control skills, which are linked to children’s PA habits later in life. Outdoor play appears to offer the natural ground for the stimulation by designed PA games to take root in children’s mind.

“Jogando” com as diferentes linguagens: a atualização dos jogos na educação física escolar

This paper aims approaches between the field of leisure studies and interventions of Physical Education, as of reflections on experience with the transposing of media languages on a training course for teachers of Physical Education. The proposal consisted in transposing the media language of electronic games for a bodily experience to enrich the educational practices of physical education at school. We sought to increase training for critical appropriation, redefinition and promotion of experiences from many different media languages in order to expand the repertoire of experiences, bringing implications for the education and intervention in physical education.

Collaborative Evaluation of the Healthy Habits Program: An Effective Community Intervention to Improve Mobility and Cognition of Chinese Older Adults Living in the U.S.

There is a growing demand to reduce ethnic health disparities. The Healthy Habits Program (HHP) was implemented to provide a community-based physical activity and education intervention for Chinese older adults living in Boston, Massachusetts. This study evaluated the HHP by assessing outcomes that are critical for maintaining independence of older persons. Quantitative evaluation was performed on 50 Chinese older adults enrolled in the HHP. The community members were trained in data collection and management. Cognition (Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Trail Making Test and Complex Walking Task), mobility (Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and maximal gait speed), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), perceived disability (World Health Organization Disability Assessment 2.0), nutritional status (Mini Nutrition Assessment®), and strength (grip and leg strength) were assessed at baseline and at 6 months. All tests were translated into Chinese. Of the 50 participants (mean age 68.4 years; 68% female), 78% achieved the goal of performing exercise ≥3 times/week. After 6 months, clinically meaningful improvements were observed in mobility (mean SPPB score changed from 10.3 to 11.1 points; p=0.01) and cognition (mean MMSE score changed from 26.0 to 27.8 points; p=0.001). There were also statistically significant improvements in executive function, depressive symptoms and perceived disability (p<0.05). Culturally sensitive community interventions, such as the HHP, are effective for improving mobility and cognition of Chinese older adults. This reveals the potential of promoting successful aging in minority populations through community settings, and should be advocated to reduce ethnic health disparities in the U.S.