The Effects of Physical Education and Physical Activity on Academic Performance in Pre-Adolescent Students
INTRODUCTION
Childhood obesity is one of the greatest health threats to youth in today’s society. Since 1980, the percentage of children who are overweight has more than doubled while rates among adolescents have more than tripled (Wittberg, Northrup, &Catrell, 2009). With this in mind, this seems an inopportune time to start cutting Physical Education programs. Now more than ever, students need the skills and activity that well designed PE programs can provide. But budget cuts and the ever increasing cost of education in schools are forcing school boards to reprioritize where money is being delegated. In 2005, Fox News reporter Jodi Noffsinger reported that from California to Iowa to Colorado to Massachusetts, cash strapped schools were gutting their phys-ed programs, letting go of teachers, reducing the minutes of instruction, or in some cases, eliminating Physical Education altogether. That was five years ago. More states every year find that decisions have to be made and budgets need to be balanced which often leads to programs being cut or affected in such a way that they are no longer effective (large class sizes, shortened class periods, and so on).
As if budget cuts were not enough for a school district to handle, the pressure for academic performance such as that provided by the federal mandate of No Child Left Behind forces teachers and administrators to make decisions about how time in school should be allocated (Castelli, Hillman, Buck, & Erwin, 2007). As the cost of education continues to rise, the money available to fund education is decreasing. And this is forcing schools throughout this country to analyze the merit and worth of encore programs like Physical Education.
All of these issues have created a need to look at all the benefits that a student can gain through participation in Physical Education. It is well known that PE can have positive implications on a student’s physical, social, and emotional development. Through cooperative play, students are able to work on their social health. Through fitness training and sport participation, a student will become more physically fit, and with this the student may gain a more positive sense of self. But can a Physical Education class affect cognitive development? Will a student’s academic performance be influenced by participation in PE? In my quest for background knowledge on what was already known about the correlation between Physical Education and academic performance, I found very differing opinions on this subject. In the next sections I will discuss the studies I read when exploring what was already known about this topic, and I will begin with the ones that noted a relationship between aerobic fitness and academic success.
One study completed by Castelli, Hillman, Buck and Erwin (2007) looked at the relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement among 3rd and 5th grade students. Researchers used the Fitness Gram results and ISAT test scores from 259 students in their study. Once all students had completed all tests, descriptive statistics were used to analyze each variable. The results showed that aerobic fitness and BMI were associated with achievement in both reading and math.
Keely and Fox (2009) completed a study that focused on deciphering if a relationship exists between physical activity or physical fitness and cognitive performance or academic achievement. Researchers decided to use previously completed bodies of research to attempt to answer their problem statement. Before beginning the research process, researchers established a list of criteria studies would need to meet in order to be included in the current study. Seventeen studies satisfied inclusion criteria. After all studies were reviewed, researchers concluded that a weak relationship exists between total daily physical activity and academic achievement.
A study by Eveland-Sayers, Farly, Fuller, Morgan and Caputo (2009) examined the relationship among the components of health-related physical fitness and academic achievement in elementary school children. Researchers collected fitness scores (1 mile run, BMI, curl-ups, sit and reach) and test scores from the 2005Terra Nova Standardized Academic Test for 134 students in grades 3 to 5. From this study, researchers found that children with faster mile times scored higher on math. Positive correlation between muscle fitness and math scores existed.
Reed, Einstein, Hahn, Hooker, Gross and Kravitz (2010), completed a study with 155 students in the third grade. The purpose of the research was to examine the impact of intergrading physical activity with elementary curricula in fluid intelligence and academic performance in an elementary school setting. To complete this study, classroom teachers were trained in fitness testing and procedures. Once teachers were trained, they administered the Biometrical Impedance (BMI) test, Previous Day Physical Recall (PDPAR) Survey, Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) and the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test (PACT) to all students. Once descriptive statistics were used to examine frequencies and differences in data collected, the researchers concluded that children having a healthy weight earned higher scores on the SPM test. Aerobically or physically active kids demonstrated better results on fluid intelligence tasks. Researchers concluded that inclusion of movement in the classroom for three days a week could enhance fluid intelligence and cause improvements in select achievement tests for elementary school students.
As I continued to complete my readings for this project, I came across a study that stated that a student’s overall fitness level played a role in academic success. In 2009, Chomitz, Slining, McGowan, Mitchell, Dawson and Hacker completed a study to determine the relationship between physical fitness and standardized testing in fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade children. 1,841 students were asked to complete the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) and to complete five domains adapted from the Amateur Athletic Union and Fitness Gram. Through use of bivariate and multivariate regression statistical analysis, researchers found a positive relationship between fitness and math and English academic achievement. Researchers did note that student fitness was more strongly associated with math achievement than English.
Another set of studies I reviewed looked at the association between time spent in Physical Education and academic achievement in grades K-5, and the role of gender in regards to PE and academic success. Carlson, Fulton, Lee, Maynard, Brown Kohl III, and Dietz (2008) collected data from 5316 students in kindergarten. The data include insight on time spent in Physical Education (minutes per week/days per week) and scores from the IRT Scales Test. This study concluded that a small, but significant, benefit existed for girls in math and reading scores with increased rates of Physical Education.
Fox, Barr-Anderson, Neumark-Sztainer & Wall (2010), wanted to determine if a relationship existed between current recommendations for physical activity and academic performance for students in middle school and high school. The team of researchers had 4,146 students complete the Project EAT survey and the Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ). The findings showed that sports team participation was associated with a higher GPA and moderate to vigorous physical activity was associated with a higher GPA in girls rather than boys.
Tremarche, Robinson, and Graham (2007) used 311 fourth grade students from two different schools to complete a study that wanted to determine the effect of more time in Physical Education on standardized testing scores. The participants were asked to complete the MCAS Standardized English and Language Arts and Math test and a written survey about physical activity within the day and during extracurricular activities after school. Once finished, a statistical analysis of the data showed that students from the second school received more time in physical education and scored higher on the English Language Arts state exam.
While these studies, and so many more that I read, were able to show that participation in Physical Education could prove beneficial to the work being done in the classroom, the positive correlation between academic success and physical activity participation is not unanimously accepted. I found two studies that would argue that while physical activity and PE can improve fitness, it is not able to increase academic performance. In the first study, Yu, Chan, Sung, and Hau stated that physical activity does not significantly correlate with academic achievement. 333 children aged 8-12 completed a physical self-description questionnaire and a physical activity questionnaire. Once done, descriptive analysis was used to test for correlations between test scores, conduct scores, and physical activity. Researchers used this data to conclude that physical activity level was not related to academic achievement. The researchers went on to offer explanations for the findings. (1) A student who participates in excessive physical activity may see deterioration in academic performance. (2) A student who is academically deficient may seek success in physical activities. (3) Students who are intelligent and already experience success in the classroom may have more time to participate in physical activities.
Another study I found wanted to determine the independent contributions of physical activity that were not associated with a Physical Education program to academic achievement. The study used 12, 875 students in grades K-5. Stevens, To, Stevenson and Lockbaum (2008) had students complete a survey gauging the frequency of Physical Education for the students. Parents were asked to complete a survey that would produce data on the frequency, intensity and time of physical activity at home or outside of school. Standardized testing scores for math and reading were collected. From this data, researchers concluded that many of the academic improvements were based on prior knowledge and academic readiness. Physical activity was more effective at keeping kids healthy.
PURPOSE OF STUDY
The purpose of the current study is to determine the effect of Physical Education and physical activity on academic performance. To do this I will expand upon previous research and show that participation in Physical Education can have a positive effect on academic achievement.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this paper was to determine if physical activity and PE could have a positive effect on the work students were doing in their classes and the results of standardized testing. As I began reading the current studies that focused on this issue, I realized that this is a hot topic. With academic initiatives like No Child Left Behind becoming a driving force in how information is taught and with childhood obesity becoming more and more prevalent in schools throughout this country, Physical Education programs are being placed under a microscope to prove their value and effectiveness. This has spawned a surge in research focusing on all the benefits that can come from participation in physical activities and Physical Education.
The notion that higher levels of activity or fitness may enhance thinking, concentration and subsequently academic performance is attractive to educators. Not only could it benefit children, it could improve the school’s added value for academic achievement (Keely & Fox, 2009). Physical Education instructors throughout this country should see the value of this statement. It attempts to validate the merit of keeping Physical Education as part of a student’s overall education process. Schools throughout this country that are eliminating Physical Education or limiting the time allotted for PE should reconsider this decision. Leaving a well designed PE program within the curriculum for a school could not only improve the health of the student, but may also improve student scores on the much analyzed standardized state tests.
The researchers in the studies I read made many valid points when trying to establish if a relationship exists between Physical Education, physical activity, and academic achievement. In the attempt to show correlation, several researchers admitted that other factors as well as participation in physical activity played a role in the improvements found. The health of the student was a major factor that was discussed. Eveland-Sayers, Farley, Fuller, Morgan and Caputo (2009) stated that using body mass index (BMI), as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, overweight kindergarten and first-grade children demonstrated statistically lower reading and mathematics test scores compared with children at healthy weight. This seems a logical thought. If a student is overweight, he or she is more likely to suffer from other help issues like diabetes making them more likely to be absent. Carlson, Fulton, Lee, Maynard, Brown, Kohl III, and Dietz (2008) stated that physically active youth may be less likely than physically inactive youth to experience chronic disease risk factors and to become obese. Again, if a student is less healthy, they run a greater risk of being sick and missing more days in school. The overall health of the student then plays just as great a role in academic success as physical activity and PE.
In a study by Yu, Chan, Cheng, Sung, and Hau (2206), the researchers provided a variety of explanations that could be used to explain the findings of the study. One of the explanations focused on academic low achievers who sought success in a class that they could be successful. While the fitness level of the student was likely to improve, this did not mean that academic achievement would do the same.
Of the studies I found while researching this topic, four studies stated that aerobic fitness levels are positively correlated with academic performance, while others stated that girls were more likely to reap academic benefits from Physical Education than boys, or that more PE time resulted in higher scores just in ELA testing or that no relationship exists between physical activity and PE and academic achievement. Eight of the ten claimed a positive correlation. This alone says that a relationship could exist. It is the extent of the relationship that needs to be more defined.
CONCLUSION
Participating in regular physical activity is a necessary preventive behavior for youth to reduce the risks of developing chronic disease while increasing the quality and perhaps the longevity of one’s life (Reed, Einstein, Hahn, Hooker, Gross & Kravitz, 2010). This alone is a valid reason more schools should be seeking alternatives to budget cuts besides eliminating Physical Education. By completing this research project, I gained greater insight on all the areas of growth that can occur if a well designed Physical Education program is a part of a student’s educational path.
I also realized that there is need for more research. Most researchers would agree that physical activity is needed if the health issues of our students are going to be improved. A healthy student is less likely to miss excessive days due to chronic illness. Maybe this is a reason why certain students are best able to be successful in school. This is also why more research needs to be done. What if many of education’s problems could be solved by having students take more Physical Education classes that are longer in time? What if test scores on standardized tests could be raised and all a district had to do was hire one more Physical Education teacher? These are just some of the questions I was left with upon completion of this paper.
References
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