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Integrating physical activity into the primary school curriculum: rationale and study protocol for the "Thinking while Moving in English" cluster randomized controlled trial.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The current and declining physical activity levels of children is a global concern. Integrating physical activity into the school curriculum may be an effective way not only to improve children's physical activity levels but also enhance educational outcomes. Given the recent national focus in Australia on improving the literacy levels of children in primary school, and an increasing proportion of time spent on explicitly teaching these skills, integrating physical activity into English could be a viable strategy to improve literacy levels and physical activity at the same time. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of the 'Thinking While Moving in English' (TWM-E) program on children's physical activity, on-task behavior in the classroom, academic achievement, and executive function. METHODS:Grade 3-4 children from 10 public schools in New South Wales, Australia will be randomly allocated to intervention (n?=?5) or control (n?=?5) groups. All teachers will receive 1-day workshop of registered professional learning and a TWM-E equipment pack (e.g., chalk, lettered bean bags). Intervention schools will be asked to adapt their English lessons to embed movement-based learning in their daily program for three 40-min lessons per week, over a six-week period. The primary outcome is children's physical activity levels across the school day (measured using accelerometry). Secondary outcomes are children's on-task behavior during English lessons, academic achievement in English, and executive function. A detailed process evaluation will be undertaken including questionnaires, fidelity checks, and teacher and student interviews. DISCUSSION:The TWM-E program has the potential to improve primary school children's physical activity levels, along with academic outcomes (on-task behavior, cognition, and academic achievement), and provide stakeholders with exemplar lessons and guidelines which illustrate how to teach English to children whilst they are moving. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Australian and New Zealand Clinical trial Register ACTRN12618001009202 Date registered: 15/06/2018 retrospectively registered.

SUBMITTER: Mavilidi MF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6449912 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Integrating physical activity into the primary school curriculum: rationale and study protocol for the "Thinking while Moving in English" cluster randomized controlled trial.

Mavilidi Myrto F MF Lubans David R DR Morgan Philip J PJ Miller Andrew A Eather Narelle N Karayanidis Frini F Lonsdale Chris C Noetel Michael M Shaw Kylie K Riley Nicholas N

BMC public health 20190404 1

<h4>Background</h4>The current and declining physical activity levels of children is a global concern. Integrating physical activity into the school curriculum may be an effective way not only to improve children's physical activity levels but also enhance educational outcomes. Given the recent national focus in Australia on improving the literacy levels of children in primary school, and an increasing proportion of time spent on explicitly teaching these skills, integrating physical activity in ...[more]

PMID: 30947708

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Project description:BackgroundThe public health benefits of physical activity for children are well known including contributions to metabolic and cardiorespiratory health. Along with physical benefits, engaging in physical activity can support the social and emotional health of youth and promote health and well-being into adulthood. This cluster-randomized controlled trial assesses the impact of an after-school curriculum aimed at improving physically active and inclusive play to promote physical, social, and emotional health. A secondary focus is on the implementation (appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, sustainability) of the curriculum.MethodsThe PLAYground (Play and Learning Activities for Youth) project utilizes a social-ecological approach, targeting personal, behavioral, and environmental conditions, and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to study how a playground curriculum impacts children's health. All elementary schools with an existing after-school program in a large, public school district in Mesa, Arizona will be eligible to participate. Seven schools will be allocated to the intervention arm in year one using random sampling stratified by school-income. In year two, the seven control schools will receive the intervention. Intervention schools will implement the research-based PlayOn!® playground curriculum to promote active and inclusive play. After-school staff will be trained to teach activities that address social and emotional skills (e.g., conflict resolution) through physical activity. Participating students will be trained as peer leaders to extend the playground activities to the recess setting. This trial will assess between-group differences in physical activity, social and emotional health indicators, and number of health and behavior incidents among students attending intervention schools and control schools. Implementation outcomes will also be assessed among program facilitators at each school site.DiscussionEnhancement of physical activity opportunities at schools has the potential for high impact and reach due to practicality. Enhancements can also improve quality pedagogy and curricula in after-school settings. Results of this project can inform practical strategies to improve existing after-school programs to prepare leaders (adults and children) to facilitate physical activity, positive social interactions, and emotional well-being.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT ID NCT05470621 , Registered July 22, 2022.

Project description:Improving academic achievement and reducing the rates of obesity in elementary school students are both of considerable interest. Increased physical activity during academic instruction time during school offers a potential intervention to address both issues. A program titled "Physical Activity Across the Curriculum" (PAAC) was developed in which classroom teachers in 22 elementary schools were trained to deliver academic instruction using physical activity with a primary aim of preventing increased BMI. A secondary analysis of data assessed the impact of PAAC on academic achievement using the Weschler Individual Achievement Test-II and significant improvements were shown for reading, math and spelling in students who participated in PAAC. Based on the results from PAAC, an adequately powered trial will be conducted to assess differences in academic achievement between intervention and control schools called, "Academic Achievement and Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (A?+?PAAC)."Seventeen elementary schools were cluster randomized to A?+?PAAC or control for a 3-year trial. Classroom teachers were trained to deliver academic instruction through moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with a target of 100+ minutes of A?+?PAAC activities per week. The primary outcome measure is academic achievement measured by the Weschler Individual Achievement Test-III, which was administered at baseline (Fall 2011) and will be repeated in the spring of each year by assessors blinded to condition. Potential mediators of any association between A?+?PAAC and academic achievement will be examined on the same schedule and include changes in cognitive function, cardiovascular fitness, daily physical activity, BMI, and attention-to-task. An extensive process analysis will be conducted to document the fidelity of the intervention. School and student recruitment/randomization, teacher training, and baseline testing for A?+?PAAC have been completed. Nine schools were randomized to the intervention and 8 to control. A random sample of students in each school, stratified by gender and grade (A?+?PAAC?=?370, Control?=?317), was selected for outcome assessments from those who provided parental consent/child assent. Baseline data by intervention group are presented.If successful, the A?+?PAAC approach could be easily and inexpensively scaled and disseminated across elementary schools to improve both educational quality and health.R01- DK85317.US NIH Clinical Trials, http://NCT01699295.

Project description:Young children are prone to low levels of physical activity in childcare. Researchers have identified that preschoolers tend to be more active outdoors than indoors, with higher activity levels occurring during the first 10 minutes of outdoor playtime. Additionally, interventions incorporating either staff training or the inclusion of play equipment have been effective at increasing children's activity in this setting. As such, the overarching objective of the Supporting Physical Activity in the Childcare Environment (SPACE) intervention is to improve the physical activity levels of preschoolers during childcare hours, utilizing a combination of the above components. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a detailed account of the protocol, innovative methods, and evaluation plans used in the implementation of the SPACE study; in an effort to support the development of further research in this field.The SPACE study, a cluster randomized controlled trial, involves 22 childcare centres randomly allocated to either the experimental (n = 11) or the control (n = 11) group. Childcare centres receiving the intervention will adopt an 8-week physical activity intervention with the following components: 1. shorter, more frequent bouts of outdoor playtime (4 × 30 min periods rather than 2 × 60 min periods); 2. new portable play equipment (e.g., obstacle course, balls); and, 3. staff training (1 × 4 hr workshop). Actical accelerometers will be used to assess total physical activity with measurements taken at baseline (i.e., week 0), immediately post-intervention (i.e., week 8), and at 6- and 12-month follow-up. As secondary objectives, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on preschoolers': a) sedentary time; b) standardized body mass index scores (percentiles); c) health-related quality of life; and childcare providers' physical activity-related knowledge and self-efficacy to implement physical activity.The SPACE study aims to increase the low levels of physical activity observed within childcare centres. The findings of this work may be useful to policy makers and childcare providers to consider modifications to the current childcare curriculum and associated outdoor play time.ISRCTN70604107 (October 8, 2014).

Project description:Background: Young children are prone to low levels of physical activity in childcare. This environment, inclusive of equipment, policies, and staff, has been identified as influencing young children's activity behaviours. To date, no study has examined the feasibility and effectiveness of such policies in Canadian childcare centres, while the provision of physical activity policies in other countries has shown some promise for improving the activity levels of young children. As such, the primary objective of the Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) Policy study is to examine the feasibility of an evidence-based, stakeholder-informed, written physical activity and sedentary time policy for centre-based childcare (i.e., at the institutional level). The secondary objectives are to examine the impact of policy implementation on the physical activity levels and sedentary time of young children, subsequent environmental changes in childcare centres, and childcare providers' self-efficacy to implement a physical activity policy. This study will examine both policy implementation and individual (behavioural) outcomes. Methods/Design: The Childcare PLAY Policy study, a pilot, cluster-randomized controlled trial, involves the random allocation of childcare centres to either the experimental (n = 4) or control (n = 4) group. Childcare centres in the experimental group will adopt a written physical activity policy for eight weeks (at which time they will be asked to stop enforcing the policy). Physical activity levels and sedentary time in childcare will be assessed via ActiGraph™ accelerometers with measurements at baseline (i.e., week 0), mid-intervention (i.e., week 4), immediately post-intervention (i.e., week 9), and at six-month follow-up. Policy implementation and feasibility will be assessed using surveys and interviews with childcare staff. The Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation Self-Report tool will capture potential changes to the childcare setting. Finally, childcare providers' self-efficacy will be captured via a study-specific questionnaire. A nested evaluation of the impact of policy implementation on young children's physical activity levels will be completed. A linear mixed effects models will be used to assess intervention effects on the primary and secondary outcomes. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis will be employed to assess the feasibility of policy implementation. Discussion: The Childcare PLAY Policy study aims to address the low levels of physical activity and high sedentary time observed in childcare centres by providing direction to childcare staff via a written set of evidence-informed standards to encourage young children's activity and reduce sedentary time. The findings of this work will highlight specific aspects of the policy that worked and will inform modifications that may be needed to enhance scalability. Policy-based approaches to increasing physical activity affordances in childcare may inform future regulations and programming within this environment.

Dataset Information

Integrating physical activity into the primary school curriculum: rationale and study protocol for the "Thinking while Moving in English" cluster randomized controlled trial.

Publications

Integrating physical activity into the primary school curriculum: rationale and study protocol for the "Thinking while Moving in English" cluster randomized controlled trial.

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