Promoting Children’s Health Through Physically Active Math Classes: A Pilot Study

Abstract

School-based interventions are encouraged to support youth physical activity (PA). Classroom-based PA has been incorporated as one component of school wellness policies. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the effects of integrating PA with mathematics content on math class and school day PA levels of elementary students. Participants include four teachers and 75 students. Five math classes are taught without PA integration (i.e., baseline) followed by 13 math classes that integrate PA. Students wear pedometers and accelerometers to track PA during math class and throughout the school day. Students perform significantly more PA on school days and in math classes during the intervention. In addition, students perform higher intensity (step min(-1)) PA during PA integration math classes compared with baseline math classes. Integrating PA into the classroom is an effective alternative approach to improving PA levels among youth and is an important component of school-based wellness policies.

An intervention to improve the physical activity levels of children: Design and rationale of the ‘Active Classrooms’ cluster randomised controlled trial

“…In reviews of the literature [10,11] it has been found that very few studies focus on classroom-based interventions [12][13][14][15][16][17] and of those which have only three studies have integrated PA into academic content [17][18][19]. These interventions demonstrate that integrating PA into academic content improves students' PA levels during school time without affecting academic teaching time.…”

“…However, only one of these studies used accelerometer measures and a randomised control trial [17]. The other studies [18,19] use predominantly pedometer measures and have no control group for comparison measures or do not include randomisation. The Theory of Planned Behaviour [20] and the Ecological Model [21] were used to guide these interventions.…”

Outcomes and process evaluation of a programme integrating physical activity into the primary school mathematics curriculum: The EASY Minds pilot randomised controlled trial

“…11 Several studies have revealed children who are more physically active tend to perform better academically, 10 that children who are physically active and fit are likely to have stronger academic performance 3 and activity breaks can improve cognitive performance and classroom behaviour. [12][13][14] Previous classroom-based physical activity interventions have found that the benefits of integrating PA during the school day include both increased total PA for students and positive learning outcomes. 15 A number of studies 13,14,16 have evaluated the effects of integrating PA across the primary curriculum to assist the learning process.…”

“…[12][13][14] Previous classroom-based physical activity interventions have found that the benefits of integrating PA during the school day include both increased total PA for students and positive learning outcomes. 15 A number of studies 13,14,16 have evaluated the effects of integrating PA across the primary curriculum to assist the learning process. The Take 10 programme has been disseminated to more than 40,000 classrooms in the United States and replicated in both China and the UK.…”

Movement-based Mathematics: Enjoyment and Engagement without Compromising Learning through the EASY Minds Program

“…In this context, schools need to explore novel strategies to promote PA throughout the school day. The integration of PA across the school curriculum is one recommended strategy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013;Erwin, Abel, Beighle, & Beets, 2009; Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2013).…”