Education Commons^™

Perspectives On Movement In The Classroom And Strategies That Keep Students Engaged, Darley Desormo

Honors College Theses

Within this study, the question of “what are teachers’ rationale for incorporating kinesthetic learning in the elementary classroom '' will be addressed. The purpose of this study is to gain insight from elementary teachers’ perceptions and their rationale on the use of movement-based learning in the classroom. To examine further into this research, interviews were conducted. Participants of the study were elementary classroom teachers. During seven online meetings, the researcher interviewed using consistent guiding questions asking elementary teachers about their implementation and rationale of movement-based learning in their classroom experiences. The researcher also asked questions to gain an understanding of …

Classroom Physical Activity Breaks Effect On Executive Function And Academic Achievement In Elementary School Students, Mark A. Bjornsen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: There were three aims in conducting this pilot study. First, determine the Plus Minus Task assessment's reliability to measure the executive function of shifting. Second, determine the feasibility and acceptability of CPAB by students and teachers. Finally, determine the preliminary dose-response of acute physical activity on shifting in elementary students. Methods: This was a pilot study of a classroom physical activity break intervention. Utilizing a withinsubject, cross-over design, students participated in a practice day and then all three treatment conditions: a 10-minute seated lesson (control condition) and 5 and 10 minutes (experimental conditions) of classroom physical activity breaks. A …

Mandated To Move: Teacher Identified Barriers, Facilitators, And Recommendations To Implementing Daily Physical Activity, Lauren Martyn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Ontario elementary school teachers are mandated to implement 20 minutes of physical activity into classroom instruction each day under the Ontario Daily Physical Activity policy but are experiencing barriers. Effective implementation is essential to school-aged children's daily physical activity recommendation and, ultimately, the physical, cognitive and emotional benefits that coincide. The present study engaged 13 teachers across Ontario who teach in elementary schools through small virtual focus groups. Discussion on the facilitators, barriers, and recommendations to incorporating physical activity in the classroom was explored through the social-cognitive and social-ecological frameworks. A thematic analysis revealed teachers most frequently identified barriers related …

Effects Of Acute Physical Activity On Nih Toolbox-Measured Cognitive Functions Among Children In Authentic Education Settings, H. G. Calvert, J. M. Barcelona, D. Melville, L. Turner

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2019

Introduction: Identifying a dose of physical activity (PA) that can improve cognitive function in children has important implications for school-day PA recommendations. Researchers and educators have interest in this link as it relates to both health and academic performance. This study examined the dose-response relationship between PA and improvement in cognition in a sample of fifth and sixth grade students.

Methods: Participants (n = 156) from eight classes each completed two of four different cognitive assessments on an iPad, both before and after exposure to one of four randomized, 10-min PA conditions (sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous). Conditions …

An Exploration Of Supports For Increasing Classroom Physical Activity Within Elementary Schools, Hannah G. Calvert, Julianne Wenner, Lindsey Turner

Publications

Classroom-based physical activity (CBPA) can significantly benefit students’ health and educational outcomes, but many teachers do not utilize CBPA. This study examined teachers’ perceptions about the value and impact of several approaches to support CBPA implementation, and teachers’ weekly self-reported CBPA use. Interviews were conducted with 35 classroom teachers (including those using and not using CBPA) at two public elementary schools, and CBPA tracking logs were collected on a weekly basis. Interview transcripts were interpreted through key domains within implementation science. On average, teachers reported using one activity every other day. Interview data revealed that utilizing professional collaboration time for …

Benefits Of Integrating Physical Activities Into The Elementary Classroom, Maritza Juliet Ruelas

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There have been significant studies stating that physical activities have been eliminated for elementary school students. Today students are expected to attend school for approximately eight hours, five days out of the week. This senior capstone paper examines the many benefits of integrating physical activities into the elementary classroom through the use of literature review, anonymous-survey of twenty two students, and anonymous-survey of four teachers. This means that kinesthetic learning style has been limited for students at the elementary school level. The results indicate that integrating physical activities into the elementary classroom is proven to be beneficial to the overall …

The Impact Of Somatic Movement On Academic And Behavioral Performance In The Fourth-Grade Classroom, Sara Collson

Education Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact that somatic movement had on the academic and behavioral performance of elementary students. 21 participants were chosen, with permission, from a designated fourth-grade classroom to participate in the applied treatment—somatic movement. This included stretching, balancing, and low intensity movements. The method of this study was to incorporate somatic movement exercises for approximately five minutes prior to language arts class. The results collected from the study showed that applying the somatic movement exercises in the classroom improved students’ engagement, focus, and productivity for an immediate and short amount of time.

Contemplative Education: How Contemplative Practices Can Support And Improve Education, Judith Johannes

Master's Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore how contemplative education can have a viable role in education. In the first part of this thesis I will share my own personal experience with contemplative practices and how they led to my personal growth and transformation.

The second part will give some brief insights about the benefits the ancient wisdom traditions Hinduism and Buddhism attributed to contemplative practices. They claim that those practices help to reach a state of expanded awareness and stillness of the mind. Contemplative practices such as mindfulness, which is a Buddhist meditation technique, were used to better …