Physically Active Lessons Improve Lesson Activity and On-Task Behavior: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of the “Virtual Traveller” Intervention

Background. Physically active lessons have not often been assessed with randomized controlled trials. Aims. Evaluate the effects of the “Virtual Traveller” (VT) intervention delivered using classroom interactive whiteboards on physical activity, on-task behavior, and student engagement. Methods. Participants were 219 children aged 8 to 9 years from 10 schools in Greater London, assessed in a cluster-randomized controlled trial between March 2015 and May 2016. For 6 weeks, intervention children received 10-minute VT sessions three times a week during math and English lessons (VT group: n = 113). Children in control schools received regular teaching (COM group: n = 106). Outcomes were school-day, weekend-day, and lesson-time sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and on-task behavior and student engagement, assessed at baseline (T0), 2 weeks (T1), and 4 weeks (T2) during the VT intervention and 1 week (T3) and 3 months (T4) postintervention using multilevel modeling. Results. VT pupils engaged in significantly more school-day MVPA at T1 only, with no other significant differences between groups in overall school-day or weekend-day activity. VT pupils engaged in significantly less SB and more MVPA during lesson time than COM pupils. More on-task behavior was shown in VT pupils than COM pupils but there was no difference in student engagement. Discussion. VT reduced sedentary behavior and increased physical activity during lesson time but not across overall school or weekend days. VT improved on-task behavior but had no effect on student engagement. Conclusion. Physical activity can be integrated into teaching using interactive whiteboards with no detriment to educational outcomes.

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

10.21203/rs.3.rs-18509/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Myrto F Mavilidi ◽

David R Lubans ◽

Andrew Miller ◽

Narelle Eather ◽

Philip J Morgan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Academic Outcomes ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Task Behavior ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

On Task Behavior ◽

Cluster Randomized

Abstract Background: The majority of children internationally are not sufficiently active. Integrating physical activity into academic lesson time may not only help increase children’s activity levels but also improve learning. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a classroom-based physical activity intervention on primary school students’ physical activity levels and academic outcomes (i.e., on-task behavior, literacy and executive function skills). Methods: This cluster randomized controlled trial included students ( N = 283) from nine primary schools located in New South Wales, Australia. Schools were allocated to a control (n = 5 schools) or Thinking while Moving in English (TWM-E) (n = 4 schools) conditions. Teachers received professional learning (i.e. one day workshop), resources (e.g. drill ladders, lettered bean bags), and mentoring from the research team. Teachers in the TWM-E condition delivered three 40-min physically active English lessons per week for six weeks, whereas the control condition continued with the usual lessons. For both conditions, assessments occurred at baseline and post-test (six weeks). Children wore accelerometers on their wrists (Axivity) for one week during school time to measure their intensity of physical activity intensity (primary outcome). On-task behavior was assessed using a momentary time sampling procedure and expressed as a percentage of lesson time. Standardized tests were used to assess literacy skills (i.e., spelling, grammar and punctuation) and executive functioning (i.e, inhibition and task shifting). Results: No significant group differences were observed for physical activity outcomes, spelling or executive functions. Compared to the control group, the TWM-E group displayed improved on-task behavior (adjusted mean difference = 18.1% of lesson time, 95% CI [10.12 to 26.02], p < .001, d = 0.53), and improved grammar and punctuation scores (adjusted mean difference = 3.0, 95% CI [ 0.7 to 5.4], p = 0.018, d = 0.16). Conclusions: Despite minimal effect on overall physical activity levels, active lessons have important benefits for students’ on-task behavior and literacy.

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Implementation of a School Physical Activity Policy Improves Student Physical Activity Levels: Outcomes of a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Physical Activity and Health ◽

10.1123/jpah.2019-0595 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (10) ◽

pp. 1009-1018

Author(s):

Nicole K. Nathan ◽

Rachel L. Sutherland ◽

Kirsty Hope ◽

Nicole J. McCarthy ◽

Matthew Pettett ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

School Day ◽

Cluster Randomized ◽

The Impact

Aim: To assess the impact of a multistrategy intervention designed to improve teachers’ implementation of a school physical activity (PA) policy on student PA levels. Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in 12 elementary schools. Policy implementation required schools to deliver 150 minutes of organized PA for students each week via physical education, sport, or class-based activities such as energizers. Schools received implementation support designed using the theoretical domains framework to help them implement the current policy. Results: A total of 1,502 children in kindergarten to grade 6 participated. At follow-up compared with control, students attending intervention schools had, measured via accelerometer, significantly greater increases in school day counts per minute (97.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 64.5 to 130.4; P < .001) and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (3.0; 95% CI, 2.2–3.8, P < .001) and a greater decrease in sedentary time (−2.1; 95% CI, −3.9 to −0.4, P = .02) per school day. Teachers in intervention schools delivered significantly more minutes (36.6 min) of PA to their students at follow-up (95% CI, 2.7–70.5, P = .04). Conclusions: Supporting teachers to implement a PA policy improves student PA. Additional strategies may be needed to support teachers to implement activities that result in larger gains in student MVPA.

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