Classroom-Based Physical Activity and On-Task Behavior

Abstract

Schools are valuable locations to promote physical activity becausemost children are in school for large portions of the day and year. However, the main objective of most schools is to teach academic skills. For school personnel to implement classroom-based physical activity programs, they need to be convinced that these programs will help the students learn better. Teachers understand and value the concept of on-task behavior or paying attention. Without attentional focus, students do not learn. Thus, if research demonstrates that participation in classroombased physical activity programs enhances on-task behavior, teachersmay bemore likely to implement these programs. Although on-task behavior in the authentic classroom setting is difficult to measure, the accumulated evidence about the effect of classroom-based physical activity on on-task behavior is convincing. This article presents an overview of measurement issues associated with directly observed on-task behavior in schools and a summary of the key studies that have made a substantial contribution to the literature in this field. Various research designs and statistical comparisons have been used to examine these relationships. Several research studies have included examination of the effect of physical activity on on-task behavior within subgroups of students (e.g., level of attention, sex, fitness, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status). In summary, research demonstrates that classroom-based physical activity enhances on-task behavior compared with traditional sedentary learning environments, and this benefit appears to hold for all subgroups of students that have been examined. Specific suggestions to enhance the implementation of classroom-based physical activity and to further develop the research base are provided. INTRODUCTION Health benefits of physical activity are widely known (1,2); however, less is known about the additional benefits or potential limitations of physical activity when it is incorporated into the classroom. Research on the effectiveness of classroombased physical activity began to be published around the mid-2000s. Integrating physical activity into the classroom can help youth meet the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines (3). Part of the Physical Activity Guidelines recommends that youth School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University,