Immediate and delayed effects of integrating physical activity into preschool children's learning of numeracy skills

Myrto-Foteini Mavilidi; Anthony Okely; Paul Chandler; Sidsel Louise Domazet; Fred Paas

doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2017.09.009

Immediate and delayed effects of integrating physical activity into preschool children's learning of numeracy skills

J Exp Child Psychol. 2018 Feb:166:502-519. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.09.009. Epub 2017 Oct 31.

Authors

Myrto-Foteini Mavilidi¹, Anthony Okely², Paul Chandler², Sidsel Louise Domazet³, Fred Paas⁴

Affiliations

¹ Early Start Research Institute, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia. Electronic address: mfm351@uowmail.edu.au.
² Early Start Research Institute, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia.
³ Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
⁴ Early Start Research Institute, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia; Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

PMID: 29096234
DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.09.009

Abstract

A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the effects of a 4-week program that integrated movements into cognitive tasks related to numerical skills. Participants (N = 120, M_age = 4.70 years, SD = 0.49; 57 girls) were assigned to one of the following four conditions: performing integrated physical activity (task relevant), performing nonintegrated physical activity (task nonrelevant), observing integrated physical activity, or conventional sedentary teaching (without performing or observing physical activity). Results showed that children who performed task-relevant integrated physical activity performed better than children in all other conditions. In addition, children who performed physical activity, either integrated or nonintegrated, reported higher scores for enjoyment of the instructional method than the two sedentary learning conditions. Implications for educational theory and practice are discussed.

Keywords: Cognitive development; Embodied cognition; Learning; Mathematics Kind regards; Myrto; Physical activity; Preschool children.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Achievement
Child, Preschool
Curriculum*
Exercise*
Female
Humans
Male
Mathematics / education*
Models, Educational*
Motivation
Problem Solving