Knowledge in Action: Fitness Lesson Segments That Teach Health-Related Fitness in Elementary Physical Education

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Hodges ◽  
Pamela Hodges Kulinna ◽  
Hans van der Mars ◽  
Chong Lee

The purpose of this study was to determine students’ health-related fitness knowledge (HRFK) and physical activity levels after the implementation of a series of fitness lessons segments called Knowledge in Action (KIA). KIA aims to teach health-related fitness knowledge (HRFK) during short episodes of the physical education lesson. Teacher participants from one district (N = 10) were randomly assigned into either the intervention or comparison group. Intervention teachers used the KIA fitness lessons during fifth grade students’ physical education classes. These teachers received training sessions, teaching materials, and YouTube videos that modeled the KIA fitness lessons. Intervention fidelity was assessed through observations and a fidelity checklist. Students’ physical activity levels were measured using accelerometers and HRFK was examined by PE Metrics 28-question pencil and paper test. General linear models (GLM) and Hierarchical linear models (HLM) were used to examine group differences. Intervention students had a 3.4 (20%) greater unit improvement in HRFK scores when compared with their comparison counterparts (p < .001), at the school level. Student activity levels of moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) time were similar in both groups (p = .64). Teachers can use the KIA fitness lesson segments or similar strategies to effectively teach HRFK in elementary physical education classes.

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Harvey ◽  
Megan L. Smith ◽  
Yang Song ◽  
David Robertson ◽  
Renee Brown ◽  
...  

The Tactical Games Model (TGM) prefaces the cognitive components of physical education (PE), which has implications for physical activity (PA) accumulation. PA recommendations suggest students reach 50% moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). However, this criterion does not indicate the contribution from vigorous physical activity (VPA). Consequently, this study investigated: a) the effects of TGM delivery on MVPA/VPA and, b) gender/school level differences. Participants were 78 seventh and 96 fourth/fifth grade coeducational PE students from two different schools. Two teachers taught 24 (middle) and 30 (elementary) level one TGM basketball lessons. Students wore Actigraph GT3× triaxial accelerometers. Data were analyzed using four one-way ANOVAs. Middle school boys had significantly higher MVPA/VPA (34.04/22.37%) than girls (25.14/15.47%). Elementary school boys had significantly higher MVPA/VPA (29.73/18.33%) than girls (23.03/14.33%). While TGM lessons provide a context where students can accumulate VPA consistent with national PA recommendations, teachers need to modify lesson activities to enable equitable PA participation.


2004 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greet Cardon ◽  
Stefanie Verstraete ◽  
Dirk De Clercq ◽  
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij

The main goal of the current study was to compare physical activity levels during swimming and nonswimming elementary physical education classes. We conducted a preliminary study and found that the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) could be used to register physical activity engagement levels in swimming classes. Thirty-nine classes, involving 8- to 12-year olds, participated in one swimming and one nonswimming physical education class. Classes were videotaped and physical activity levels for 234 students were quantified using SOFIT. Students engaged in more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during swimming classes than during nonswimming classes. As a consequence, we advocate the inclusion of swimming lessons in physical education. Because the average engagement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was lower than the recommended 50% in 41% of swimming classes and in 77% of the nonswimming classes, however, comprehensive efforts are needed to increase physical activity levels during both types of elementary physical education classes.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Gehris ◽  
Elizabeth Myers ◽  
Robert Whitaker

Adventure-physical education has been proposed to promote adolescents’ physical development, but little is known about physical activity levels during such lessons. Using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time, we observed students’ (ages 11–14 years) physical activity levels in co-educational classes during 43 adventure-physical education lessons at seven public schools. The mean percentage (±SD) of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was 28.3% (±16.3%). The greatest percentage of lesson time was spent in two activities—high elements (24.1% ± 36.5%) and initiatives (22.3% ± 32.4%). When data were aggregated across all lessons, 40.0% of the time in high elements and 13.7% of the time in initiatives was spent in MVPA. Of all MVPA time, 31.5% occurred in high elements and another 12.6% in initiatives. Compared with traditional physical education lessons, less time is spent in MVPA during adventure lessons. Efforts to increase MVPA should target high elements and initiative activities.


Author(s):  
Nur Syahida Binte Jamaluddin ◽  
Masato Kawabata

Physical education (PE) lessons are the appropriate occasions to promote physical activity for children. Although the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels during PE lessons were investigated in several countries, MVPA levels during PE lessons were never reported at Singapore primary schools. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate physical activity intensity levels during PE lessons at a Singapore primary school. A total of 93 students (40 girls) voluntary participated in the study: 28 in Grade 1, 39 in Grade 4, and 26 in Grade 6. They were asked to wear an accelerometer on their non-dominant hand in two PE lessons to measure physical activity levels objectively. They also completed questionnaires on their experiences during the PE lessons. The average of the MVPA levels time (%) in the scheduled lesson time across the three grades was 46.98 ± 5.25%, but the average of the MVPA levels time (%) in the actual lesson time was 69.74 ± 7.31%. These results indicated that it would be possible to achieve the recommended MVPA time in PE lessons. The findings of this study would be useful for PE teachers to reflect whether their PE lessons are efficient to promote primary school student’s physical activity levels.


1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie A. Sarkin ◽  
Thomas L. McKenzie ◽  
James F. Sallis

Boys are typically more physically active than girls, but schools have the potential to promote health-related physical activity for all children. This study investigated gender differences in children’s physical activity levels during physical education (PE) classes and unstructured recess periods. The activity levels of 91 fifth-grade children were assessed by accelerometer (Caltrac) on 3 days. Results indicated that children’s activity levels were low to moderately stable from day to day in both environments. Boys and girls had similar activity levels during PE, t(89) = 1.49, p = .140, but boys were significantly more active than girls during recess, t(89) = 3.27, p = .002. Girls were significantly more active during PE than they were at recess, t(51) = 2.08, p = .043. The results suggest that structured PE classes may provide similar amounts of physical activity for both genders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulin Kaya ◽  
Pinar Ay ◽  
Seyhan Hidiroglu

Abstract Background Moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is an essential determinant of health for children. However 82% of children aged 11-17 years in Turkey are physically inactive. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of physical inactivity (PI) and sociodemographic and neighbourhood characteristics associated with PI among children aged 9-13 years. Methods The population of this cross-sectional study was 5-7th grade students attending schools in a district of Istanbul. Two schools from urban and two from semi-urban localities were selected in order to capture different neighbourhood characteristics. Sample size was calculated as 344 assuming a difference of PI prevalence of 15% between neighbourhoods, an alpha error of 0.05, a power of 80%. Data were collected by child and parent questionnaires. PI was defined as &lt; 60 minutes MVPA per day within the previous week. Neighbourhood characteristics were evaluated as physical (walkability levels, structure of sidewalks, presence of yards/parks, traffic density) and social (characteristics of social networks, trust among neighbours). Factors associated with PI were analysed by logistic regression. Results A total of 334 students participated with a response rate 96%. The median age was 11 years and 52.9% were girls. The prevalence of PI was 79.3% (95%CI: 75.0-83.7%). Neighbourhood characteristics were not associated with PI (p &gt; 0.05). PI was associated with ownership of mobile phones (OR: 1.96, 95%CI: 1.01-3.78), not being a member of a sports team (OR: 2.83, 95%CI: 1.21-6.58) and having ≤1 day of physical education classes at school (OR: 2.10, 95%CI: 1.08-4.09). Conclusions The prevalence of PI is very high among schoolchildren. School-based interventions as motivating children to participate in sports teams and having physical education classes &gt;1 times per week could be achievable strategies to combat PI. There is a need to adapt objective methods for assessment of neighbourhood characteristics. Key messages PI is a prevalent public health problem among school children in urban and semi-urban environments. The effectiveness of increasing structured physical activity levels at schools by utilizing sports teams and physical education classes should be evaluated in future studies.


Kinesiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Mayorga Vega ◽  
Jesús Viciana

Regular physical activity is an important factor of health in youth. Unfortunately, in Chile 85% of adolescents do not achieve the 60 min daily recommendation of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Physical education, school recess and after-school time are considered crucial environments for adolescents to meet the recommended moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels. This study compared the moderateto-vigorous physical activity levels between physical education, school recess and after-school time in Chilean secondary school students, and examined the influence of gender and weight status. A hundred and fifty-six Chilean secondary school students (finally 89 participants were included), aged 13-14 years, were monitored by objective measures of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during physical education, school recess and after-school time. Results indicated statistically significant differences in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity between contexts (total minutes: After-school time&gt;physical education&gt;school recess; percentage: Physical education&gt;after-school time=school recess, p&lt;.001) as well as a gender-related influence (boys&gt;girls, p&lt;.05). Policy-makers are encouraged to increase the number of physical education classes and teachers to ensure that more physical education class time is spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, especially among girls. The increase in students’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels during school recess and after-school time should also be promoted.


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