The study examined the sensitivity to change of field assessments of handgrip strength and vertical jump following programmatic interventions in physical education settings. Using a naturalistic experimental design, classes of 6th grade students (N = 158) were randomized to receive either an 8-week musculoskeletal strength or plyometric power…

Individuals with attention problems often exhibit more off-task behaviors and less engagement in classroom settings, and exercising has demonstrated positive effects in decreasing disruptive behaviors and increasing on-task behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of physical activity on academic engaged time for individuals…

Reading comprehension ability relies heavily on executive function skills which can be improved with selective interventions. Cognitively engaging physical activity promotes executive function acquisition and may be helpful to improving reading ability. However, unfamiliar and potentially stressful interventions may be counterproductive to these…

Purpose: In youth, cross-sectional studies reported age differences in balance performance that were in favor of adolescents. Thus, trainability of balance performance might be different in children compared to adolescents. The purpose of this study was therefore to compare the effects of balance training (BT) on balance performance between…

The effect of an acute bout of physical activity on academic performance in school-based settings is under researched. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between a single, vigorous (70-85%) bout of physical activity completed during physical education on standardized mathematics test performance among 72, eighth grade students…

Background: School physical education (PE) programs provide a prime environment for interventions that attempt to develop school-aged children's motor competence and overall physical fitness, while also stimulating competence motivation to engage in physical activity during childhood. It is generally recognized that a pedometer-based intervention…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the acute dose-response relationship of classroom exercise breaks with executive function and math performance in 9- to 12-year-old children by comparing 5-min, 10-min, or 20-min classroom exercise breaks to 10 min of sedentary classroom activity. Method: This study used a within-subjects…

Schools are positioned to play a key role in nurturing students with knowledge and behaviours associated with healthful living. Our study examined the effects of an intervention on energy balance (EB) knowledge. Twelve 6th and 7th grade classrooms (n = 140) were assigned to receive either two standardised lessons on EB or a combined intervention…

One approach to reducing persistent racial/ethnic achievement gaps is to tackle their social-psychological dimensions, including the negative consequences of stereotype threat and other identity threats in school. Initial research suggested that a particularly promising approach is brief self-affirmation writing exercises for 7th grade students;…

School physical education teachers promote fitness by offering children a variety of aerobic activities. Our interdisciplinary team developed a cultural dance active video game (AVG) and tested whether the AVG was equivalent to traditional face-to-face instructor lessons or hybrid instruction at dance mastery, increasing heart rates, and student…

Background: An intervention was designed that combined physical activity with learning activities. It was based upon evidence for positive effects of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on academic achievement. The aim of this study was to describe the program implementation and effects on academic achievement after 1?year. Methods:…

The effect of physical activity (PA) and consequent influence on cognition within adult seniors has been widely published. However, there is a paucity of causal research relating PA and cognition to schoolchildren within an authentic setting. Also, little is known about the required intensity and dosage of PA to effect executive function (EF)…

Purpose: Identification of factors that relate to physical activity behavior in children at higher risk for weight problems--namely, children with obese parents--is key to informing the development of effective interventions to promote physical activity and reduce obesity. The purpose of our study was to examine children's perceptions of parental…

This study addresses closing the academic performance gaps between African American and Latino students and their White counterparts, and between girls and boys in mathematics. Of the various models and theories of these social inequalities that have been advanced in literature, one particularly compelling line of research concerns the idea of…

This study examined the impact of a short-time coordination program conducted during recess periods on improving agility in elementary school students. The subjects consisted of 60 third grade students, who were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 29) and a control group (n = 31). The experimental group completed a coordination program…