Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
There are many benefits of taking part in physical activity for the body, but there is a good deal of evidence that it is also beneficial for the brain. Studies have shown that children who are physically active tend to perform better in the classroom at academic tasks, such as math and spelling. There have been a number of studies which have shown that physical activity can have a positive effect on academic performance in lessons afterwards. The combination of physical activity and academic learning in the classroom, however, may be an innovative way of improving academic results. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a physically active academic intervention on academic achievement, academic engagement (how well they are engaging with what they are learning), executive functioning (the ability to analyse, plan, organise, adjust and complete tasks) and the physical fitness of children.
Who can participate?
Children from second and third grades of mainstream elementary schools in the Northern Netherlands.
What does the study involve?
At each school a second and third grade class are randomly assigned to the intervention or the control group. Children in the intervention group participate in physically active academic lessons in the class room 3 times per week, 22 weeks per year, for a period of two years. The control group participates in regular classroom lessons only for the duration of the study. The children’s academic achievement, executive functioning and physical fitness is measured before the intervention starts, after the first and second intervention year and 7-9 months after the intervention ends. Children's time-on-task (time focusing on a specific task) is measured during the first intervention year.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants could potentially benefit from an improvement of academic achievement, physical fitness, executive functioning and academic engagement by participation in the physical active academic lessons. There are no significant risks of participating, although there is a possibility of muscle pain in relation to the physical activity.
Where is the study run from?
1. Public Education Group Groningen (Netherlands)
2. Christian Education Association Groningen (Netherlands)
3. Catholic Education Central (Netherlands)
4. Association of Christian education East (Netherlands)
5. Municipality Hoogezand (Netherlands)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2011 to July 2015
Who is funding the study?
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Netherlands)
Who is the main contact?
Mrs Marijke Mullender-Wijnsma
Trial website
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
ODB10015
Study information
Scientific title
Effect of physical active math and language lessons (Fit & Vaardig op school) on the academic achievement of 7-10 year old (socially disadvantaged) children
Acronym
F&V
Study hypothesis
Primary:
The F&V intervention improves the academic achievement of (socially disadvantaged) children
Secondary:
1. The F&V intervention improves the academic engagement of elementary school children
2. The F&V intervention improves the executive functioning of elementary school children
3. The F&V intervention improves the physical fitness of elementary school children
Ethics approval
Ethical Committee of the Center for Human Movement Sciences of the University Medical Center Groningen/University of Groningen, 30/05/2012, ECB/15052012/4
Study design
Multi-centre cluster randomized controlled trial.
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Cluster randomised trial
Trial setting
Schools
Trial type
Quality of life
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Condition
Academic achievement gap, physical inactivity and obesity
Intervention
Intervention group:
Physical active academic lessons in the classroom. The intervention lessons were taught in the classroom during two school years, 22 weeks per year, three times a week for 20-30 minutes In each lesson, 10-15 minutes are spent on math activities and 10-15 minutes on language activities. Each lesson is supported by a presentation on the interactive whiteboard. The physical exercises are aimed at moderate to vigorous intensity. For example, the children jump on the spot eight times to solve the multiplication sum “2x4”.
Control group:
Regular sedentary classroom lessons.
Intervention type
Behavioural
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measures
Academic achievement is measured by the Speed-Test-Arithmetic, the One-Minute-Test (reading), and the spelling and math tests from a child academic monitoring system (CAMS) before the start of the intervention (T0), after the first intervention year (eight months to one year after T0; T1) after the second intervention year (one year after T1; T2), and 7-9 months after the intervention (T3).
Secondary outcome measures
1. Physical fitness is measured using the EUROFIT physical fitness test battery before the start of the intervention (T0), after the first intervention year (eight months to one year after T0; T1) after the second intervention year (one year after T1; T2), and 7-9 months after the intervention (T3).
2. Executive functioning is measured using the Stroop test, Digit and Visual memory span (part of Wechsler Memory Scale Revised), and M-WCST before the start of the intervention (T0), after the first intervention year (eight months to one year after T0; T1) after the second intervention year (one year after T1; T2), and 7-9 months after the intervention (T3).
3. Academic engagement is measured by time-on-task observations in the classroom, during the first intervention year.
Overall trial start date
01/01/2011
Overall trial end date
01/07/2015
Reason abandoned
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Children from second and third grades of mainstream elementary schools
2. Informed consent from the school principals
Participant type
Other
Age group
Child
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
600
Participant exclusion criteria
Special schools (schools catering for children who have special educational needs due to learning difficulties, physical disabilities or behavioural problems).
Recruitment start date
01/01/2011
Recruitment end date
01/07/2012
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Netherlands
Trial participating centre
Public Education Group Groningen (Openbaar Onderwijs Groep Groningen)
Leonard Springerlaan 39
Groningen
9727 KB
Netherlands
Trial participating centre
Christian Education Association Groningen (Vereniging Christelijk Onderwijs Groningen)
Eenrumermaar 4
Groningen
9735 AD
Netherlands
Trial participating centre
Catholic Education Central (Katholieke Onderwijs Centrale)
Groningen
9701 BL
Netherlands
Trial participating centre
Association of Christian education East-Groningen (Vereniging christelijk onderwijs Oost-Groningen)
Scholtenswijk 10
Groningen
9665 KN
Netherlands
Trial participating centre
Municipality Hoogezand (Gemeente Hoogezand)
Gorecht-Oost 157
Hoogezand
9600 AB
Netherlands
Sponsor information
Organisation
University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences (Netherlands)
Sponsor details
Antonius Deusinglaan 1
Groningen
9713 AV
Netherlands
Sponsor type
University/education
Website
Organisation
University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Educational Research (Netherlands)
Sponsor details
Grote Rozenstraat 3
Groningen
9712 TG
Netherlands
Sponsor type
University/education
Website
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap)
Alternative name(s)
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Netherlands, OCW
Funding Body Type
government organisation
Funding Body Subtype
Federal/National Government
Location
Netherlands
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
We already published 2 articles that included study results.
We intend to publish 4 more articles of our study results as soon as possible (2 before the end of 2015 and 2 in 2016).
Intention to publish date
31/12/2015
Participant level data
Not expected to be available
Results - basic reporting
Publication summary
2014 results in: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25092881
2015 results in: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25927371
2016 results in: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2016/02/22/peds.2015-2743
Publication citations
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Results
de Greeff, J. W., Hartman, E., Mullender-Wijnsma, M. J., Bosker, R. J., Doolaard, S., & Visscher, C. , Physical fitness and academic performance in primary school children with and without a social disadvantage., Health Education Research, 2014, 29, 5, doi: 10.1093/her/cyu043.
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Results
Mullender-Wijnsma, M. J., Hartman, E., de Greeff, J. W., Bosker, R. J., Doolaard, S., & Visscher, C, Moderate-to-vigorous physically active academic lessons and academic engagement in children with and without a social disadvantage: a within subject experimental design, BMC Public Health, 2015, 15, doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1745-y.
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Results
MJ Mullender-Wijnsma, E Hartman, JW de Greeff, S Doolaard, RJ Bosker, C Visscher, Physically Active Math and Language Lessons Improve Academic Achievement: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Pediatrics, 2016, doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-2743 .