The Effects of a Cognitively Challenging Physical Activity Intervention on School Children's Executive Functions and Motivational Regulations

Unveiling the Impact of Metacognition on Academic Achievement in Physical Education and Activity Settings: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Qualitative Insights

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to unveil the impact of metacognition on academic achievement in physical education and activity settings by conducting a comprehensive systematic literature review with a meta-analysis of qualitative findings.

Patients and Methods

Systematic searches identified English-language, peer-reviewed journal articles reporting the results of qualitative or mixed-methods studies of the emerging themes of metacognition on academic achievement in sports. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, and SPORTDiscus were searched from inception to June 2023.

Results

Data from 20 studies were included in the review. Thematic meta-analysis identified descriptive themes: 1) Metacognitive performance during the learning process in different sports disciplines; 2) Domains of metacognitive skills related to academic performance; 3) Self-regulation strategies related to academic performance; 4) Influencing factors of metacognition; 5) Metacognitive interventions on motor learning and academic performance. Generate an analytical theme based on five descriptive themes.

Conclusion

In-depth descriptions of the emerging themes related to metacognition and academic performance during motor learning were provided by different students and athletes. The conclusions reported in the study align with the theoretical models of metacognition. The research findings will provide strategies for physical education teachers, coaches, and trainers to enhance both physical and academic performance.

The Effects of Cognitively Challenging Physical Activity Games versus Health-Related Fitness Activities on Students' Executive Functions and Situational Interest in Physical Education: A Group-Randomized Controlled Trial

This study compared cognitively challenging physical activity games and health-related fitness activities in terms of their effects on students' executive functions and situational interest in physical education. A total of 102 fourth- and fifth-grade students (56 boys, 46 girls) participated in this study. A group-randomized controlled trial design involving an acute experiment was used. Two intact classes of students (one fourth-grade and one fifth-grade) were randomly assigned to each one of the three groups. Students in Group 1 participated in cognitively challenging physical activity games, students in Group 2 participated in activities for developing their health-related fitness, and Group 3 students were the control group without physical education. Executive functions were measured pre- and post-intervention with the design fluency test, whereas situational interest was only measured post-intervention with the situational interest scale. Group 1 students who played cognitively challenging physical activity games had increased their executive functions' scores more than the Group 2 students involved in health-related fitness activities. Students of both these groups outperformed control group students. Moreover, Group 1 students reported higher levels of instant enjoyment and total interest than Group 2 students. The results of this study suggest that cognitively challenging physical activity games can be an effective means for enhancing executive functions, and motivate students to be involved in interesting and enjoyable forms of physical activity.

Acute Effects of Exergaming on Students' Executive Functions and Situational Interest in Elementary Physical Education

Two studies were conducted to examine the acute effects of exergaming on students' executive functions and to explore their situational interest regarding these games in elementary physical education. The first study involved a two-group, repeated measures, cross-over quasi-experimental design. Participants were 74 (36 boys) fourth- and fifth-grade students who were assigned to the experimental (38 students) and the waiting list control (36 students) group. The single physical education session with exergames was first implemented with the initial experimental group and after the post-test, the waiting list control group received the intervention. In the second study, a pre-test post-test, within-subjects design was involved with the experimental group students (48 fourth- and fifth-grade students, 27 boys) who participated in a booster single physical education session with exergames two months after their involvement in a four-week intervention with cognitively challenging physical activity games. Both studies involved pre- and post-intervention measures for executive functions using the design fluency test and a post-test measure for situational interest. During the acute session, students had to follow the movements of an on-screen dancing character in time to a chosen song of the Just Dance 2015 exergame. The results of the first study showed that experimental group students improved significantly from pre- to post-test their scores in design fluency and in cognitive flexibility and in the total score of the design fluency test and their improvements were higher compared to the waiting list control group. The waiting list control group students, after receiving the acute session with exergames, significantly improved their scores in design fluency, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility and in the total score of the design fluency test compared to their pre-intervention scores. Moreover, the second study showed that students' total score in the design fluency test improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention. In both studies, students reported generally high scores in all subscales of the situational interest questionnaire. These results suggested that an acute exergame-based physical education session attracted students' interest and positively triggered their executive functions.

Elementary Students’ Perceptions of Cognitively Challenging Physical Activity Games in Physical Education

This study examined 10–11-year-old students’ perceptions regarding three different types of physical activity games based on different principles of mental engagement (contextual interference, mental control, or discovery). A total of 156 students (84 girls) from five fourth-grade (75 students) and five fifth-grade (81 students) classes of five elementary schools located in a middle-sized city in central Greece participated in the study. These students participated in a larger project consisting of a series of acute experiments aiming to examine the effectiveness of cognitively challenging physical activity games in elementary physical education. Students responded to open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of the physical activity games. Their responses were analyzed through a thematic analysis. A total number of 706 quotes were identified and categorized into the lower-order themes which were organized into four higher-order themes: (a) characteristics of the games, (b) effects of the games, (c) areas for improvement, and (d) preferences for specific games. Students’ views provided supporting evidence regarding the employment of cognitively challenging physical activity games in physical education. Useful insights regarding the characteristics of the games, their effects, and their areas for improvement were also gained.