ERIC Number: EJ1032605
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Aug
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-4391
EISSN: N/A
The Impact of a Physical Activity Intervention Program on Academic Achievement in a Swedish Elementary School Setting
Käll, Lina B.; Nilsson, Michael; Lindén, Thomas
Journal of School Health, v84 n8 p473-480 Aug 2014
Background: Despite the emerging body of research on the potential of physical activity to improve learning and academic achievement, conclusive evidence regarding the effects of physical activity on academic achievement is lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of a physical activity intervention program on academic performance. Methods: A controlled cross-sectional design was used to investigate the hypothesis that the intervention program would increase the proportion of students in grade 5 who achieved the national learning goals in Swedish, mathematics, and English compared with 3 reference schools. Academic results from the years prior to and during the intervention program were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses assessed the odds of achieving the national learning goals when the intervention program was integrated into the elementary curricula. Results: Higher proportions of students in the intervention school achieved the national goals in all 3 subjects compared with the reference schools after initiation of the intervention program. The odds for achieving the national learning goals in the intervention school increased 2-fold (p?<?0.05), whereas these odds either did not change or decreased in the reference schools. Conclusion: Promoting physical activity in school by means of a curriculum-based intervention program may improve children's educational outcome.
Descriptors: Intervention, Academic Achievement, Physical Activities, Physical Activity Level, Elementary School Students, Hypothesis Testing, Grade 5, Academic Records, Regression (Statistics), Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Achievement Gains, Educational Objectives, National Standards, Correlation, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 5
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sweden
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A