Dynamic Balance, but Not Precision Throw, Is Positively Associated with Academic Performance in Children

The effect of 8 weeks of child designed vs teacher designed games on physical fitness and creativity in children 8-10 years

A healthy and active lifestyle should start from an early age, as habits learned in childhood are more likely to endure. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of child-designed games and teacher-designed games on the physical fitness and creativity of children aged 8-10 years. Thirty children participating in a sports club were randomly divided into two groups: teacher-designed games (TDG) and child-designed games (CDG). Subjects practiced two sessions per week for eight weeks, each session lasting 60 min. Fitness factors, such as strength, muscle endurance, aerobic fitness, agility, speed, and creativity were assessed by valid tests before and after the protocols. A repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The TDG intervention led to a significant improvement in KTK (37.1% vs. -3.2%) and agility (-3.7% vs. -0.4%) compared to CDG intervention, while CDG intervention was associated with a significant improvement in aerobic capacity (10.1% vs. 3.6%) and in the elaboration of creativity test (23.3% vs. 8.6%). Both groups demonstrated substantial improvements in handgrip strength, static balance, long jump, flexibility, core endurance, and creativity tests, with no significant difference between groups. There were no significant changes in anthropometric features following the intervention. The implementation of combined teacher-designed and child-designed approaches in children's classrooms, in addition to promoting all aspects of physical fitness, may be effective in enhancing physical fitness and creativity.

Effects of a Physical Education Intervention on Academic Performance: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

Background: We investigated the effects of three different interventions on academic performance in students enrolled in the first year of high school. Methods: This was a cluster randomised controlled trial conducted with 1200 students enrolled in the first year of high school. Schools were randomly assigned to: 1. Doubling physical education (PE) classes (3:20 h of PE/week); 2. workshop with the PE teachers; 3. workshop with the PE teachers and doubling the PE classes; and 4. control group (1:40 h of PE/week). We assured that the schools within the groups were equal regarding: The structural condition of the sports court; number of PE teachers; number of school classes; and the average number of students per classroom. Results: Overall, the intervention was not effective in improving the students’ academic performance. However, the subgroup analysis showed that the workshop intervention group increased the academic performance of students who had failed an academic year (from 16 years of age), compared to their peers in the doubling the PE classes (1.3 points on average) and the control groups (1.4 points on average). Conclusions: Enhancing the pedagogical skills of the teachers is a promising approach in improving the academic performance of students who failed an academic year.