Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
It has been suggested that physical activity, and especially physical activity integrated into the school day, may be beneficial for attention, executive functions and school performance. The effects of prolonged physical activity interventions on children’s learning are, however, largely unknown. This trial will act as a pilot study for a larger randomized controlled trial, which will examine the effects of physical activity integrated into academic lessons on learning outcomes, engagement and motivation and motor skills. This pilot study is an 8 week intervention and will examine the usability and the effectiveness of physically active math lessons. Children’s and teachers’ experiences will also be examined. We hypothesize that physically active math lessons will enhance children's enjoyment, learning motivation and learning outcomes.
Who can participate?
Third grade teachers and their classes
What does the study involve?
The design will involve comparison of three groups exposed to different teaching during math lessons:
1. Group 1 will receive physically active math lessons in which physical activity is integrated into learning goals
2. Group 2 will receive physically active math lessons with breaks including physical activity not related to learning goals
3. Group 3 are the control group and will receive typical, traditional math lessons.
The intervention lessons will be taught instead of regular math classes for a period of 8 weeks, while the control group will receive typical sedentary classroom lessons.
Children's math performance will be measured before, during and after the 8 weeks teaching period. Children's physical activity will be measured with accelerometers at baseline and during the intervention. Children's enjoyment, motivation and experiences will be measured with questionnaires and interviews. Teachers experiences will be measured with questionnaires and interviews.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
This pilot study will increase the knowledge about the usability of teaching materials and different techniques increasing physical activity in a classroom. In addition, this study will increase the scientific understanding of the effects of physical activity on math learning and motivation.
There are no known risks of participating in this study.
Where is the study run from?
LIKES Research Centre for Physical Activity and Health (Finland)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
March 2017 to December 2018
Who is funding the study?
The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture (Finland)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Heidi Syväoja
heidi.syvaoja@likes.fi
Trial website
https://www.likes.fi/en/research/effects-of-physical-activity/moving-maths
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Heidi Syväoja
ORCID ID
Contact details
Rautpohjankatu 8
Jyväskylä
FI40700
Finland
+358400248133
heidi.syvaoja@likes.fi
Type
Scientific
Additional contact
Dr Tuija Tammelin
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1771-3977
Contact details
Rautpohjankatu 8
Jyväskylä
FI40700
Finland
+358400247998
tuija.tammelin@likes.fi
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
OKM/66/626/2016
Study information
Scientific title
Moving Maths: a pilot study examining the effects of physically active maths lessons
Acronym
Study hypothesis
Physically active maths lessons will enhance children's enjoyment, learning motivation and learning outcomes.
Ethics approval
Ethics Committee of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, 28/08/2018 (no reference number available)
Study design
Interventional cluster randomised controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Schools
Trial type
Quality of life
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet
Condition
School-based physical activity
Intervention
This is a cluster-randomized controlled trial, in which five third grade teachers are invited to participated into the study. Volunteers are randomly assigned to use different teaching methods by using lottery. Before randomisation, children in teachers’ classes are invited to participate into the study, and the intervention group, in which they belong to, is determined by the randomisation of teachers.
The design will involve comparison of three groups exposed to different teaching during math lessons:
1. Intervention group 1: Physically active maths lessons, in which physical activity is integrated into learning goals (improving the automatisation of basic arithmetic skills such as addition, subtraction and multiplication through active learning games and tasks)
2. Intervention group 2: Physically active maths lessons with breaks including physical activity not related to learning goals (breaks that include physical activities that increase the heart rate and train motor skills)
3. Intervention group 3: Control group: usual maths lessons
The classes will be randomly assigned to Intervention Group 1 (n=25 pupils), intervention Group 2 (n=25 pupils), or control Group 3 (n=25 pupils). The intervention lessons will be taught instead of regular maths classes for a period of eight weeks, while the control group will receive typical sedentary classroom lessons.
There will be no follow-up period.
Intervention type
Behavioural
Phase
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Math performance, assessed using a math test including additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions at the baseline, during and after the intervention.
Secondary outcome measures
1. Physical activity, assessed:
1.1. Objectively using accelerometers at the baseline and during the intervention
1.2. Subjectively using questionnaires (custom-made for the study) at baseline
1.3. The parent or the child’s main caregiver will complete a questionnaire (custom-made for the study) concerning children’s physical activity at the baseline
2. Children’s experiences about the physically active math lessons, assessed using an interview after the intervention
3. Children's own competence and motivation in mathematics and enjoyment of math classes, assessed using questionnaires (custom-made for the study) at the baseline and after the intervention
4. Teacher's own competence and enjoyment to keep a physically active math lesson, assessed using a diary filled in by the teachers after every math class
5. Children’s motivation, concentration and peaceful learning environment, assessed using a diary filled in by the teachers after every math class
6. Teacher’s experiences about the physically active math lessons, assessed using an interview after the intervention
7. Family background, assessed using a questionnaire (custom-made for the study) filled in by the parent or the child’s main caregiver at the baseline
8. Children’s learning difficulties, assessed using questionnaires (custom-made for the study) filled in by the teacher and the parent or the child’s main caregiver at the baseline
Overall trial start date
24/03/2017
Overall trial end date
31/12/2018
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
Third grade students (mean age of 9 years)
Participant type
Healthy volunteer
Age group
Child
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
75
Participant exclusion criteria
N/A
Recruitment start date
06/09/2018
Recruitment end date
17/09/2018
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Finland
Trial participating centre
LIKES Research Centre for Physical Activity and Health
Rautpohjankatu 8
Jyväskylä
FI40700
Finland
Sponsor information
Organisation
LIKES Research Centre for Physical Activity and Health
Sponsor details
Rautpohjankatu 8
Jyväskylä
FI40700
Finland
+358400247998
tuija.tammelin@likes.fi
Sponsor type
Research organisation
Website
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
Opetus- ja Kulttuuriministeriö
Alternative name(s)
Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland
Funding Body Type
government organisation
Funding Body Subtype
Federal/National Government
Location
Finland
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
The preliminary results will be reported in international and national congresses in 2019. Manuscripts for international high-impact peer-reviewed journals will be prepared in 2019–2020.
IPD sharing statement:
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not expected to be made available due to ethical restrictions, as the data contains information that could compromise research participant privacy/content, and due to pilot nature of the study and small sample size.
Intention to publish date
31/12/2019
Participant level data
Not expected to be available
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list