Randomised feasibility trial of a teaching assistant led extracurricular physical activity intervention for 9 to 11 year olds: Action 3:30

Abstract

BackgroundExtracurricular programmes could provide a mechanism to increase the physical activity (PA) of primary-school-aged children. The aim of this feasibility study was to examine whether the Action 3:30 intervention, which is delivered by teaching assistants, holds promise as a means of increasing the PA of Year 5 and 6 children.MethodsA cluster randomised feasibility trial was conducted in 20 primary schools. Ten schools received the Action 3:30 intervention and 10 schools were allocated to the control arm. The intervention was 40 one-hour sessions, delivered twice a week by teaching assistants. The proportion of participants recruited per school was calculated. Session delivery and session attendance was calculated for intervention schools. Weekday and after-school (3.30 to 8.30 pm) moderate to vigorous intensity physical (MVPA) was assessed by accelerometer at baseline (T0), during the last few weeks of the intervention (T1) and four months after the intervention had ended (T2). The costs of delivering the intervention were estimated.ResultsFive intervention schools ran all 40 of the intended sessions. Of the remaining five, three ran 39, one ran 38 and one ran 29 sessions. Mean attendance was 53%. The adjusted difference in weekday MVPA at T1 was 4.3 minutes (95% CI −2.6 to 11.3). Sex-stratified analyses indicated that boys obtained 8.6 more minutes of weekday MVPA than the control group (95% CI 2.8 to 14.5) at T1 with no effect for girls (0.15 minutes, 95% CI −9.7 to 10.0). There was no evidence that participation in the programme increased MVPA once the club sessions ceased (T2). The indicative average cost of this intervention was £2,425 per school or £81 per participating child during its first year and £1,461 per school or £49 per participating child thereafter.ConclusionsThe effect of the Action 3:30 intervention was comparable to previous physical activity interventions but further analysis indicated that there was a marked sex difference with a positive impact on boys and no evidence of an effect on girls. The Action 3:30 intervention holds considerable promise but more work is needed to enhance the effectiveness of the intervention, particularly for girls.Trial registrationISRCTN58502739

Physical Education Teaching Assistant Perceptions on Classroom Management and Teaching Effectiveness

“…Discovering a department's weaknesses in terms of TA teaching styles also would prove beneficial in identifying not only what the instructor can improve on, but also what a department should train their TAs to teach. TAs do not feel adequately trained, and the results of this study suggest the same, but specifically to classroom management [1]. Future research could explore this idea more in-depth by measuring teaching effectiveness of TAs who are taking a course in classroom management as opposed to a control group who receives only basic training to be a TA.…”

“…Over time, teaching assistants have taken a greater role in teaching and managing students, as evidenced by teaching assistants leading an after school program [1]. Teaching assistants are serving a greater role in the classroom by frequently being listed as the instructor of record for many physical education classes [2].…”

Bristol Girls Dance Project: a cluster randomised controlled trial of an after-school dance programme to increase physical activity among 11- to 12-year-old girls

“…38 The Action 3 : 30 trial trained teaching assistants to deliver after-school PA sessions to 9-to 11-year-old children; weekday MVPA for boys increased by 8.6 minutes per day (95% CI 2.8 minutes to 14.5 minutes). 39 Both Madsen et al 42 and Dzewaltowski et al 40 found a significant increase in MVPA in an overweight subsample of children. The SCORES programme used soccer to support the development of skills and competencies among 9-and 10-year-old students and resulted in an increase in MVPA of 3.4 minutes per weekday (95% CI 0.3 minutes per weekday to 6.5 minutes per weekday; p-value not reported) among students with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 85th percentile.…”

“…[32][33][34]36,37 A recent literature search revealed that since these reviews, there have been five randomised controlled trials [38][39][40][41][42] that employed objective measures of PA in evaluating the effectiveness of a school-based intervention to increase PA levels. Of these, two were feasibility trials 38,39 and one was a cross-sectional study. 40 Looking at the five studies, withdrawal and drop-out rates were low (< 20%); however, attendance varied widely, thus compromising intervention integrity.…”

“…40 Looking at the five studies, withdrawal and drop-out rates were low (< 20%); however, attendance varied widely, thus compromising intervention integrity. Two studies 38,39 reported on the long-term impact of the intervention on PA once the programme had finished. Only one study 41 monitored intervention consistency, making it difficult to establish whether or not the other interventions were delivered as intended.…”