Exploring Strategies That Influence Children’s Physical Activity Self-Efficacy

Insufficient physical activity during the elementary school years has been associated with a number of health problems (Strong et al., 2006).  During the school day, the recess period provides the greatest opportunity for children to engage in physical activity (Robert Wood Johnson, 2007). Nonetheless, most children spend the majority of their recess time in active.  One strategy for increased physical activity during recess is to develop related interventions that reinforce physical activity from the school itself.  While some research studies have identified modifiable factors, research suggests that a greater level of physical activity self-efficacy is the strongest predictor of increased physical activity among elementary-aged children (Coakley, & White, 1992; Mulvihill, Rivers, & Aggleton, 2000; Trost, Pate, Saunders, Ward, Dowda, & Felton, 1997; Trost, 1999; Zakarian et al., 1994).  Research suggests that strong influences on this age group include a teacher’s encouragement and competent adult modeling (Chase 1995, Lirgg & Feltz, 1991; Trost et al. 2003). The purpose of this study is to compare whether a teacher’s encouragement alone and modeling by a competent adult alone influence children’s recess time physical activity self-efficacy. In our study, this construct is measured through barrier self-efficacy (adult encouragement and other) and task self-efficacy (light, moderate, and vigorous). One hundred sixty-one students were assigned randomly to one of three groups: 1) modeling 2) encouragement, and 3) comparison. We collected pretreatment and posttreatment self-efficacy data as well. There was no significant interaction between the treatment and gender on self-efficacy. However, there was a significant main effect detected for treatment on adult encouragement barrier self-efficacy.  Findings suggest that when teachers encourage children to be active, they may internalize the encouragement and become less dependent on external sources of encouragement to motivate them to be active during recess.