Just two hours of extra physical activity each week can improve school performance. This has been shown by a study of approximately 2,000 twelve-year-olds carried out by scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.
The scientists Lina Bunketorp Käll, Michael Nilsson and Thomas Linden, at the Centre for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have tested the hypothesis that increased physical activity stimulates learning and improves school performance.
In the study, published in the scientific periodical "Journal of School Health," 408 twelve-year-olds in the Gothenburg region were given two hours of extra play and motion activities per week, in collaboration with a local sports club. This was approximately twice the normal amount of curricular physical activity.
Comparing the achievement
The effect of the intervention was evaluated by comparing the achievement of national learning goals by the children four years before and five years after its implementation. The results were compared to control groups in three schools that did not receive extra physical activity.
The results are clear, according to the scientists: A larger proportion on students in the intervention school did achieve the national learning goals in all subjects examined -- Swedish, English and mathematics compared to the control groups.
"You can express it that two hours of extra physical education each week doubled the odds that a pupil achieves the national learning goals. We did not see a corresponding improvement in the control schools, where the pupils did not receive extra physical activity -- rather the contrary, a deterioration," says scientist and neurologist Thomas Linden at the Sahlgrenska Academy.
Carefully chosen schools
The participating schools had been carefully chosen, and the scientists point out that they are fully comparable with respect to the number of boys and girls, the fraction of pupils with foreign background, and the average level of income, unemployment and education of the parents.
"It's difficult in a study like this to have control of all factors that can influence school performance. But the results are so consistent and point clearly in one direction that we believe that we have a scientific base for our conclusion: extra physical activity seems to help children succeed in school."
"The results from the current study are in line with other studies in both animals and humans demonstrating links between physical activity and cognition. We have previously found a strong correlation between cardiovascular fitness, IQ and brain resilience in young adults. Interestingly, we now demonstrate a link between physical activity and school performance in young children adding to this exciting line of research," Professor Michael Nilsson says.
Better understanding "We have obtained a significantly better understanding of the mechanisms of learning in recent years. And it's very gratifying to be able to conclude that it is possible to improve the school performance of young pupils with relatively simple means," says Thomas Linden.
Important to policy-makers
"Our hope is that planners and policy-makers will take our results into consideration," says Lina Bunketorp Käll the researcher and project leader of the study.
"In an in-depth study we further investigate gender differences, psychological health and mechanisms behind the observed effects," Dr Bunketorp Käll further explains.
"It's being discussed whether more physical education in school would take time from academic subjects, and in this way weaken school performance. Our study shows that exactly the opposite may be the case." says Thomas Lindén.
參考譯文:
哥德堡大學的研究人員通過一項研究驗證了增加體力活動能促進學習、提高學生成績的假設。
研究者給408名孩子從12歲開始每周額外增加2小時的游戲和體育運動,相當于使他們日常的課外體育活動時間增倍。
以瑞典語、英語和數學3門課程的達標比率作為干預的評價目標,與另外三所學校沒有額外增加游戲和體育運動的學生進行比較。
結果非常明確。5年后,接受干預的學校的孩子中大部分成績達標,而對照組,即沒有接受干預的3所學校的學生情況則相反,甚至達標比率出現了惡化。
參與試驗的學校都經過了精心挑選,對于學生的性別比例,外語教育背景,學生家長收入、教育程度和實業等情況都力爭盡量匹配。
總之,在盡量排除其他因素影響的情況下,額外增加的游戲和體育運動的確促進了學生學習、提高了學習成績。
研究者認為他們的試驗是嚴謹的,結論是可信的,值得政策制訂部門參考。
原始來源:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141014094753.htm
The scientists Lina Bunketorp Käll, Michael Nilsson and Thomas Linden, at the Centre for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have tested the hypothesis that increased physical activity stimulates learning and improves school performance.
In the study, published in the scientific periodical "Journal of School Health," 408 twelve-year-olds in the Gothenburg region were given two hours of extra play and motion activities per week, in collaboration with a local sports club. This was approximately twice the normal amount of curricular physical activity.
Comparing the achievement
The effect of the intervention was evaluated by comparing the achievement of national learning goals by the children four years before and five years after its implementation. The results were compared to control groups in three schools that did not receive extra physical activity.
The results are clear, according to the scientists: A larger proportion on students in the intervention school did achieve the national learning goals in all subjects examined -- Swedish, English and mathematics compared to the control groups.
"You can express it that two hours of extra physical education each week doubled the odds that a pupil achieves the national learning goals. We did not see a corresponding improvement in the control schools, where the pupils did not receive extra physical activity -- rather the contrary, a deterioration," says scientist and neurologist Thomas Linden at the Sahlgrenska Academy.
Carefully chosen schools
The participating schools had been carefully chosen, and the scientists point out that they are fully comparable with respect to the number of boys and girls, the fraction of pupils with foreign background, and the average level of income, unemployment and education of the parents.
"It's difficult in a study like this to have control of all factors that can influence school performance. But the results are so consistent and point clearly in one direction that we believe that we have a scientific base for our conclusion: extra physical activity seems to help children succeed in school."
"The results from the current study are in line with other studies in both animals and humans demonstrating links between physical activity and cognition. We have previously found a strong correlation between cardiovascular fitness, IQ and brain resilience in young adults. Interestingly, we now demonstrate a link between physical activity and school performance in young children adding to this exciting line of research," Professor Michael Nilsson says.
Better understanding "We have obtained a significantly better understanding of the mechanisms of learning in recent years. And it's very gratifying to be able to conclude that it is possible to improve the school performance of young pupils with relatively simple means," says Thomas Linden.
Important to policy-makers
"Our hope is that planners and policy-makers will take our results into consideration," says Lina Bunketorp Käll the researcher and project leader of the study.
"In an in-depth study we further investigate gender differences, psychological health and mechanisms behind the observed effects," Dr Bunketorp Käll further explains.
"It's being discussed whether more physical education in school would take time from academic subjects, and in this way weaken school performance. Our study shows that exactly the opposite may be the case." says Thomas Lindén.
參考譯文:
哥德堡大學的研究人員通過一項研究驗證了增加體力活動能促進學習、提高學生成績的假設。
研究者給408名孩子從12歲開始每周額外增加2小時的游戲和體育運動,相當于使他們日常的課外體育活動時間增倍。
以瑞典語、英語和數學3門課程的達標比率作為干預的評價目標,與另外三所學校沒有額外增加游戲和體育運動的學生進行比較。
結果非常明確。5年后,接受干預的學校的孩子中大部分成績達標,而對照組,即沒有接受干預的3所學校的學生情況則相反,甚至達標比率出現了惡化。
參與試驗的學校都經過了精心挑選,對于學生的性別比例,外語教育背景,學生家長收入、教育程度和實業等情況都力爭盡量匹配。
總之,在盡量排除其他因素影響的情況下,額外增加的游戲和體育運動的確促進了學生學習、提高了學習成績。
研究者認為他們的試驗是嚴謹的,結論是可信的,值得政策制訂部門參考。
原始來源:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141014094753.htm