Promoting Elementary Physical Education: Results of a School-Based Evaluation Study (original) (raw)
Related papers
Turkish Journal of Sports Medicine, 2019
The aim of this study was to present the results of the triennial SBAM regional program aimed at monitoring 8-year old children in the Apulian region of Southern Italy from 2013 to 2016. Materials and methods: The program included 17,102 children in the first year, 16,104 children in the second year and 14,847 children in the third year. SBAM was a multi-component program and included different integrated action plans: physical education, active transport (pedibus), and methods for developing healthy eating habits. For each year, four motor tests (long jump standing, shuttle run, 6 min walk test, and medicine ball throw), a motor coordination test and two self-reports for evaluating self-efficacy and enjoyment were proposed to all children. Results: The results showed gender and group differences (normal-weight vs. overweight-obese) in both motor tests and self-reports (p <0.05). The annual results of the motor tests were sorted in deciles in order to have a regional observation and monitoring database concerning the motor development skills among children and preadolescents. Conclusion: Boys showed motor performance, perceived self-efficacy scores and enjoyment higher than females in three years. Growth influences the development of motor abilities; overweight and obese males and females showed a different development of motor performance that was lower than in children with a BMI in the norm. It is necessary to develop physical education in primary school, increasing opportunities and adapting them to the needs of all children. SBAM project highlighted the need to promote interdisciplinary and inter-institutional actions to promote child health and acquire physically active lifestyles.
PeerJ
Background Physical activity (PA) (e.g., sport, physical education) promotes the psychophysical development of children, enhances health and wellbeing, offers opportunities for enjoyable experiences, and increases self-efficacy. Methods In the DEDIPAC framework, we conducted a naturalistic, cross-sectional study to evaluate the effects of a school-based, long-term intervention on fitness (i.e., cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, speed, and finger dexterity), body mass index (BMI), PA levels, sedentary levels, enjoyment, and physical self-efficacy in primary school children. A group of Italian children (41 boys and 39 girls, aged 10–11 years) involved in the project—named “Più Sport @ Scuola” (PS@S)—was compared with a group of children (41 boys and 39 girls) of the same age not involved in the project. Results After a four-year long attendance to the PS@S project, participants reported higher scores of cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, enjoyment, an...
Effectiveness of physical education to promote motor competence in primary school children
Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 2017
Background: Motor skill (MS) competence is an important contributing factor for healthy development. Purpose: The goal was to test the effectiveness of primary school physical education (PE) on MS and physical fitness (PF) development. Methods: Three classes (n = 60, aged 9.0 ± 0.9) were randomly assigned to three diverse conditions during a school year: two PE lessons/week (PE-2), three PE lessons/week (PE-3), and no PE lessons control group (CG). BMI, skinfolds, PF (9-min run/walk, sit-up, modified pull-ups), gymnastics, soccer, handball, basketball and track-and-field skills were evaluated. Effect sizes (d) were reported as magnitude of change. Results: Skinfolds significantly increased only in CG (d = 1.21). PF composite z-scores improved in PE-3 (d = 0.61), but decreased in PE-2 (d = 0.57), and had no changes in CG. Statistically significant improvement was verified in gymnastics and handball skills in both experimental groups (gymnastic: d = 2.95 and d = 2.61 for PE-3 and PE-2, respectively; handball: d = 1.87 and d = 0.57 for PE-3 and PE-2, respectively), and no changes were seen in CG. In soccer, there were improvements only in the PE-3 (d = 0.55), and in basketball only in PE-2 (d = 0.46). There were no changes in any group for track-and-field skills. Conclusions: PE programs can effectively promote PF and MS development.
Associations Among Elementary School Children's Motor Skills, Fitness, and Physical Activity
Background Positive associations between motor competence and physical activity have been identified by means of variable-centered analyses. To expand the understanding of these associations, this study used a person-centered approach to investigate whether different combinations (i.e., profiles) of actual and perceived motor competence exist (aim 1); and to examine differences in physical activity levels (aim 2) and weight status (aim 3) among children with different motor competence-based profiles. Materials and Methods Children's (N = 361; 180 boys = 50%; M age = 9.50±1.24yrs) actual motor competence was measured with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and their perceived motor competence via the Self Perception Profile for Children. We assessed physical activity via accelerometers; height through stadiometers, and weight through scales. Cluster analyses (aim 1) and MANCOVAs (aim 2 & 3) were used to analyze the data.
Evaluation of a Two-Year Middle-School Physical Education Intervention: M-SPAN
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2004
Purpose: School physical education (PE) is highly recommended as a means of promoting physical activity, and randomized studies of health-related PE interventions in middle schools have not been reported. We developed, implemented, and assessed an intervention to increase physical activity during middle-school PE classes. Methods: Twenty-four middle schools (approximately 25,000 students, 45% nonwhite) in Southern California participated in a randomized trial. Schools were assigned to intervention (N ϭ 12) or control (N ϭ 12) conditions, and school was the unit of analysis. A major component of the intervention was a 2-yr PE program, which consisted of curricular materials, staff development, and on-site follow-up. Control schools continued usual programs. Student activity and lesson context were observed in 1849 PE lessons using a validated instrument during baseline and intervention years 1 and 2. Results: The intervention significantly (P ϭ 0.02) improved student moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in PE, by approximately 3 min per lesson. Effects were cumulative; by year 2 intervention schools increased MVPA by 18%. Effect sizes were greater for boys (d ϭ 0.98; large) than girls (d ϭ 0.68; medium). Conclusions: A standardized program increased MVPA in middle schools without requiring an increase in frequency or duration of PE lessons. Program components were well received by teachers and have the potential for generalization to other schools. Additional strategies may be needed for girls.
Some studies have investigated the relationship between children's athletic competence beliefs and actual motor competence while engaged in physical activity. However, it is not clear whether or not participation in physical activity training has lesser or greater effectiveness for children with higher or lower beliefs of their own athletic competence. This knowledge would allow for the implementation of different kinds of physical activity trainings, tailored around the children's beliefs, in order to get the highest possible improvement of motor skills. This study investigated whether children's levels of athletic competence beliefs would interact with their increase in coordinative motor skills proficiency after a specific physical activity training. The participants in the training were 116 children (7-10 years old), randomly divided into an experimental (53% females) and control group (49% females). We collected pre-and post-test measures of the children's coordinative motor skills and we also assessed their athletic competence beliefs at the pre-test. The physical activity training increased the children's motor skills, and children with lower athletic competence beliefs benefited more than their classmates with higher athletic competence beliefs. When the athletic competence beliefs are low, good physical activity training can overcome its negative effect on actual motor skills, both in boys and girls.
Medicine & Science in …, 2008
Problem: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a scale measuring children's self-efficacy and proxy efficacy for physical activity at after-school programs and at home. Proxy efficacy was defined as children's confidence in their skills and abilities to get adults to act in their interest to provide physical activity opportunities. Methods: Children (grades 4 through 6) attending after-school programs completed a self-efficacy questionnaire relevant to their physical activity. Factorial validity was assessed with an exploratory factor analysis (n ¼ 107) and a confirmatory factor analysis (n ¼ 187). Next, criterion-related validity was assessed using a mixed-model analysis of covariance with school as a random effect and children level variables as fixed effects. Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Results: The questionnaire assessed three separate constructs: self-efficacy to be physically active (SEPA), proxy efficacy to influence parents to provide physical activity opportunities (PEPA-P), and proxy efficacy to influence after-school staff to provide physical activity opportunities (PEPA-S). Males had greater SEPA than females. Children who perceived greater physical activity opportunities during after-school time had greater SEPA, PEPA-P, and PEPA-S than children attending schools with fewer physical activity opportunities. Children attending schools with lower concentrations of racial/ethnic diversity and higher socioeconomic status (SES) had greater PEPA-P compared to children attending greater racial/ethnic diversity and low-SES schools. Conclusions: Self-efficacy for physical activity is a multicomponent construct and can be assessed in elementary-aged children using the reliable and valid instrument confirmed in the current study.
Comparing Physical Education Curriculums in Public Schools to a Model Type
Purpose: The purpose of this research is to address the growing epidemic of obesity in America. It looks closely at several key areas that have the potential to address and solve this problem. Since 1987 the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) has been conducting the Shape of the Nation Report every few years to summarize information regarding the status of physical education throughout the nation’s school system. One area key to correcting this obesity epidemic is physical education curriculums. School programs that promote regular physical activity among young people could be among the most effective strategies for producing well-rounded individuals (Crespo 2003, 1). Comprehensive physical education classes have the potential to slow the age-related increase in sedentary lifestyles, contribute to academic achievement, and encourage healthy lifestyles in students (U.S Department of Human Services, Healthy People 2010). Methodology: This research uses existing data that was retrieved from NASPE’s most recent study. In 2001, NASPE sent a questionnaire to the physical education directors in all 50 state Departments of Education (SDE) and the District of Columbia. The survey requested information about each states requirement concerning their physical education curriculum. Findings: Although the federal government has been encouraging states to adopt physical education standards for the past 15 years, there is no federal law requiring state education boards to follow through on these guidelines (Borland 2002). The data revealed that, little has been done throughout the 50 states to address the problem of obesity through physical education curriculums. The information retrieved was used to develop a model type curriculum that would effectively address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity in America.
Background. Self-efficacy and enjoyment are two main constructs proposed within many motivational theories in any human endeavor, sport and physical activity included. Methods. The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of two pictorial scales measuring self-efficacy and enjoyment levels in a sample of 14,035 Italian schoolchildren (7,075 boys and 6,960 girls, 6-to 7-year-olds). An important feature of the two scales is that they are in a pictorial format in order to prompt a straightforward understanding in children. The whole sample was randomly split in two subsamples according to gender and age and the factor structure of the measures was examined across subsamples. Results. Data were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis, which yielded satisfactory fit indices on the measures of both subsamples. Overall findings supported the single factor structure of the scales, which can be easily administered to 6-to 7-year-old children to assess two relevant psychological constructs in physical education.