Physical Activity Recommendations in the Context of New Calls for Change in Physical Education

Abstract

The current social, health, and educational changes in society require an adequate response in school-based physical activity (PA), including physical education (PE) lessons. The objective of this study was to identify the real average step counts of Czech and Polish adolescents during PE lessons, and propose recommendations for improving PE programs. This research was carried out in 143 Czech and 99 Polish schools. In the research, a total of 4911 adolescents aged 12–18 years were analyzed as part of teaching practice and 1827 in the context of habitual school practice. Steps were monitored using pedometers. The average step count per PE lesson was 2390 in Czech and Polish boys, while girls achieved 1851 steps. In both countries, boys were subject to greater physical strain in PE lessons compared to girls, both in teaching practice (F(4088,3) = 154.49, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.102) and school practice (F(1552,3) = 70.66, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.103). Therefore, the priority in PE lessons is to increase the amount of PA for girls, achieve the objectives of PE during PA, and use wearables to improve awareness of PA and improve physical literacy, as well as to support hybrid and online PE as a complement to traditional PE.

The Impact of Distance Education during the COVID‐19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Well‐Being of Czech and Polish Adolescents

“… 3 , 4 , 5 In this regard, some complaints were held against the existing level of physical education (PE) in elementary 6 and secondary schools. 7 , 8 , 9 The objections to PE encompassed an insufficient use of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), 10 nonachievement of PA recommendations, 11 , 12 and the decreasing trend in positive assessment. 13 Moreover, the cognitive load on adolescents in secondary schools was not sufficiently compensated by PA in school, after school, or during weekends 14 , 15 ; this is confirmed by the occurrence of depression symptoms in 25% of Czech and Polish adolescents.…”

“…Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic (referred to as the pandemic), global criticism focused on insufficient physical activity (PA), 1 an increase in sedentary behavior, 2 and worsening mental health among adolescents 3‐5 . In this regard, some complaints were held against the existing level of physical education (PE) in elementary 6 and secondary schools 7‐9 . The objections to PE encompassed an insufficient use of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), 10 nonachievement of PA recommendations, 11,12 and the decreasing trend in positive assessment 13 .…”

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of a Daily Physical Activity Unit in Schools: Focus on Children and Adolescents in Austria Up to the 8th Grade

“…Furthermore, studies confirm that girls exercise significantly less than boys of the same age [ 25 ]. In addition, children from migrant families spend less time being physically active than children without a migrant background [ 26 ].…”

Learning Analytics Based on Wearable Devices: A Systematic Literature Review From 2011 to 2021

“…The analysis and training of physiological data, like HR, ECG, and EEG, allows for real-time monitoring of students’ physiological status (Antoniou et al, 2020; Ahonen et al, 2018; Aritzeta et al, 2017; Lew & Tang, 2017; Lin & Kao, 2018). On the other hand, the exploration and study of movement data, such as gyroscope and tri-axial accelerometer data, can help physical education teachers to accurately grasp students’ movement levels and provide appropriate guidance (Liang et al, 2021; Li et al, 2019; Lee et al, 2016; Frömel et al, 2021; Esakia & Kotut, 2020). Figure 4 represents the classification of the reviewing articles depending on the types of wearable data.…”