- Title
- The effect of physical education lesson intensity and cognitive demand on subsequent learning behaviour
- Creator
- Heemskerk, Christina H. H. M.; Lubans, David; Strand, Steve; Malmberg, Lars-Erik
- Relation
- Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 23, Issue 6, p. 586-590
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2019.12.012
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2020
- Description
- Objectives: To investigate the effect of (i) physical education (PE) lesson intensity and (ii) skill complexity, and (iii) their interaction on students’ on-task behaviour in the classroom. Design: Within-subject repeated-measures. Methods: Participants were children (N = 101, age 7–11) recruited from four elementary schools in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. The experiment consisted of manipulating the aerobic intensity (low/medium/high) and skill complexity (low/high) of PE lessons. Children participated in all six conditions of the experiment: low intensity–low complexity (flexibility), medium intensity–low complexity (health related exercise), high intensity–low complexity (sprinting games), low intensity–high complexity (bi-lateral ball skills), medium intensity–high complexity (ball games), high intensity–high complexity (aerobics). Children’s behaviour in the classroom was observed every 30 s for 25 min before and after each PE lesson and rated as on-task or off-task. Results: A main effect of intensity on children’s on-task behaviour was found (F(2,51634) = 11.07, p < 0.001), with greater on-task behaviour following high intensity PE lessons (thigh = 2.85, p < 0.01, d = 0.2). No main effect of complexity on on-task behaviour was observed (F(1,51636) = 1.89, p = 0.17). The interaction of intensity and complexity was significant (F(2,51628) = 69.19, p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings suggest that participation in PE lessons can improve children’s on-task behaviour in the classroom. PE lessons involving high complexity and high intensity, or low complexity and medium intensity appear to have the greatest benefits for students’ behaviour in the classroom.
- Subject
- on-task; acute exercise; attention; physical activity; cognitive engagement; primary school
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1434897
- Identifier
- uon:39542
- Identifier
- ISSN:1440-2440
- Language
- eng
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