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LITERATURE REVIEW 1

What Affects Does Physical Activity Have on Academic Achievement?

Breyanna Koopman

University of San Diego


LITERATURE REVIEW 2

Abstract

Physical activity used to be a mandatory part of the school day for most students in the

K–12 education system; however, it has become increasingly less important in the eyes of school

employees. Schools want to focus more time on academics and do not see exercise as a valuable

use of their time. The overall essence of the eight articles was that physical activity positively

effects academic achievement in elementary school students through improved test scores and

behavior. Being physically active also increases cognitive development by improving

concentration and memory. It is imperative that Physical Education plays an active role within

each school and that the students are given their allotted recess time, totaling at least up to the

recommended sixty minutes a day.

Keywords: physical activity, academic achievement, test scores, cognitive development,

behavior
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What Affect Does Physical Activity Have on Academic Achievement?

The health benefits that stem from regular physical activity is well-known and has been

extensively researched. What is not well-known, however, is the relation between physical

activity and academic achievement. The overall trend in the literature is that there is a positive

correlation between physical activity and academic achievement. Physical activity is any

movement of the body that exerts energy. Academic achievement, as measured in the studies

refers to good or improving grades, passing standardized tests, and retaining and recalling

learned information. More and more, schools are removing Physical Education and cutting

recess time shorter in order to allow for more time to be spent on academics inside the

classrooms because of increased pressure to raise schoolwide test scores. Consequently, students

are not getting the recommended 60 minutes a day of exercise. Most children, especially

elementary school aged, are enrolled in school which makes school the ideal environment to

implement physical activity. Teachers and school administrators should make physical activity

during school hours not only mandatory on a daily basis, but also a high priority because of its

academic benefits of improving test scores, cognitive functions, and behavior.

Improved Test Scores

Physical activity improves elementary school students’ test scores. Mullender-Wijnsma,

Hartman, Greeff, Bosker, Doolaard, and Visscher (2015) found that student participants

considerably improved their math, spelling, and reading scores after being involved in regular

physical activity through their school. The intervention groups that had physical activity

integrated throughout their school day scored significantly higher on both mathematics and

reading in comparison to the control group that did not receive any additional exercise. The

physically active academic lessons vastly improved the academic achievement for the

intervention students.
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Amin, Wright, Boulos, Chomitz, Chui, Economos, and Sacheck (2017) found differences

in standardized test scores between lower-income students and middle-class students. According

to page 935 of the article, “for lower-income children, an environment conducive to being active

may translate into academic success and those additional resources in this domain may not play a

critical role for middle-income children.” Lower-income children showed a large improvement

in Math and English, whereas middle-class students only showed significant progress in Math.

Both groups showed improvements in their test scores before, after, and during the intervention;

however, lower-income students received the biggest benefit.

Through the study of children from ages nine to eleven by Dumuid, Olds, Martín-

Fernández, Lewis, Cassidy, and Maher (2017), four lifestyle groups were identified: food

screenies, all-rounders, actives, and sitters. The screenies, which consisted of children who had

the highest screen time, moderate physical activity, and the unhealthiest diet, performed the

lowest academically of all the groups. The all-rounders, the largest portion of the children,

which had the healthiest diet, moderate physical activity, and the lowest amount of screen time,

was the highest academic performance. According to Dumuid, Olds, Martín-Fernández, Lewis,

Cassidy, and Maher (2017, p. 922):

lifestyles of children with poor academic performance would be characterized by a

combination of unhealthy diets and high screen behaviors…short sleep, low [physical

activity], and low sedentary time.

This journal differs from the rest by saying that it is a combination of those things that allows the

student to have poor academic performance, rather than just the lack of physical activity.

Improved Behavior

Another benefit physical activity has on academic achievement is improving behavior in

the classroom. Some short-term effects elementary school children experience as a result of
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physical activity integration in academics includes: high acceptance of physical activity

integration, academic motivation, and an improvement of on-task behavior (Mullender-Wijnsma,

Hartman, Greeff, Bosker, Doolaard, & Visscher, 2015, p. 366). Mullender-Wijnsma, Hartman,

Greeff, Bosker, Doolaard, and Visscher (2015, p. 369) found, through their study, that after the

students were involved in physical activity, they remained on-task 73% of the time. Through the

research done by Mahar, Murphy, Rowe, Golden, Shields, and Raedeke (2006, p. 2086), they

concluded that physical exertion also results in less fidgeting in the classroom and become more

attentive. At least half of the behavior issues in elementary school are due to students being off-

task and consequently getting other students off-task and eventually disrupts the entire class.

These studies have proven that after integrating some kind of physical activity into the school

day, it eliminates most of the misbehaviors that tend to occur often in the classroom. This allows

for more learning to take place with less distractions and is extremely beneficial to classroom

performance and management.

Erwin, Fedewa, and Ahn, (2012) also discovered that students who participated in

physical activity experienced “increased levels of self-esteem and connectedness in schools,

likely to enhance children’s’ ability to learn” (p. 474). Having high self-esteem and self-worth

allows students to be confident in themselves and encourages them to try harder when things are

difficult. They will not shy away from challenges but will be more likely to attack them head on.

If students feel like they belong in their school and classroom environment, then they will be

more comfortable and will be free to be their authentic selves, which greatly influences academic

performance. Less restrictions will be placed on their learning.

Improved Cognitive Functions

Physical activity also affects academic achievement through improved cognitive

functions. Mcclelland, Pitt, and Stein (2014) talk about the previous misconception that human
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thinking and cognition used to be thought of like the operation of the computer. “Thinking skills

were overwhelmingly seen as conscious, deliberate and rational” (Mcclelland, Pitt, & Stein, p.

84). Now, people use the embodied cognition model in which thinking is now seen as dependent

on the body. The main source of the improvements in cognition come from the hippocampus.

According to Hassevoort, Khan, Hillman, and Cohen (2016, p. 163):

The hippocampus is necessary for episodic memory…it serves as the hub of a network

involving prefrontal and parietal regions that supports effective learning strategies, which

are associated with superior memory for learned information.

The hippocampus also is responsible for supporting flexible cognition, which includes problem

solving and critical thinking. During childhood and early adolescence, the hippocampus is still

developing. Because a big part of students’ academic success is determined by their ability to

memorize and recall what they were taught, hippocampal health is very important. Physical

activity increases the rate of hippocampal neurogenesis and upregulation which will offset any

abnormalities formed because of lack of unhealthy habits.

The theory of brain-based learning suggests that “moderate to vigorous physical activity

stimulates…immediate chemical changes in the brain that increases attention and may enhance

cognitive performance” (Mullender-Wijnsma, Hartman, Greeff, Bosker, Doolaard, & Visscher,

2015, p. 365). Regular moderate to vigorous physical activity leads to increased activity in the

prefrontal cortex which is responsible for cognitive control. “Combining learning with physical

activity is an easy way to invest in both academic exercise and physical activity. The

combination saves time because teachers do not have to choose between academic instruction

and (extra) physical education…an interaction between aerobic physical activity and cognitive

engagement may have a stronger effect on cognitive functioning (Mullender-Wijnsma, Hartman,

Greeff, Bosker, Doolaard, & Visscher, 2015, p. 366).


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All of the findings that were made throughout the different journals were explained in

detail and they were accurately supported and defended. The research took place in different

countries throughout the world and the participants were of different races and ethnicities and

from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The research behind the conclusions were

convincing based on the methods that they used and the limitations that they openly

expressed. As far as limitations are concerned, the common notion was that there was not

enough research done on physical activity and its academic implications to have a single, finite

answer. All of the articles agreed that further investigation was needed. Another limitation was

the sample size. The sample size ranged between thirty participants to around three

hundred. Typically, the optimal sample size is at least around five hundred participants to be

able to accurately generalize about a population based on the results. Something else worth

mentioning is that some of the reporting of scores and behaviors were self-reporting that was

done by the teachers. Even though the researchers assure that they were honest, there is a

possibility that the teachers were not 100% truthful in their reports. The final limitation was that

the participants were all elementary school students. All the benefits that were found can only be

applicable to that age group because that was the focus of all the studies.

Elementary school students are already given mandated recess time, perhaps even

Physical Education depending on the school, the schools might as well use that time

productively. The suggested sixty minutes are meant to be about more than just running around.

Teachers can use that time to introduce their students to new sports, games, activities that they

would otherwise never be exposed to. Even adding just five more minutes of recess or Physical

Education each day can make a huge difference in the academic achievement of the kids.

Physical activity does not take up additional class time, or it does not take up that much

additional time away from academics. Teachers can easily implement elements of physical
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activity within a core subject lesson. Like we have learned in this class, there are no fixed

learning styles, so incorporating different elements of multiple intelligences and learning styles

will help all kids in the classroom, not just the ones that personally identify with those types, i.e.

kinesthetic learners. It also engages the students because it is different from the traditional

format of the classroom; it may stand out to them and make the lesson more memorable. Not to

mention, a constructive way to exert the students’ energy and “get the wiggles out”. Finally, the

schools can create before and after school programs that are centered around physical activity

and are offered to everyone at very little to no additional cost to the schools. Through the

research of the eight articles, physical activity was proven to improve test scores, cognitive

functions, and overall classroom behavior. It is important to understand the positive correlation

that physical activity has with academic achievement, in order to best serve the students and the

overall classroom environment.


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References

Amin, S. A., Wright, C. M., Boulos, R., Chomitz, V. R., Chui, K., Economos, C. D., & Sacheck,

J. M. (2017). The Physical Activity Environment and Academic Achievement in

Massachusetts Schoolchildren. Journal of School Health,87(12), 932-940.

doi:10.1111/josh.12569

Burns, R. D., Brusseau, T. A., & Hannon, J. C. (2017). Effect of Comprehensive School Physical

Activity Programming on Cardiometabolic Health Markers in Children from Low-

Income Schools. Journal of Physical Activity and Health,14(9), 671-676.

doi:10.1123/jpah.2016-0691

Dumuid, D., Olds, T., Martín-Fernández, J., Lewis, L. K., Cassidy, L., & Maher, C. (2017).

Academic Performance and Lifestyle Behaviors in Australian School Children: A Cluster

Analysis. Health Education & Behavior,44(6), 918-927. doi:10.1177/1090198117699508

Erwin, H., Fedewa, A., & Ahn, S. (2012). Student Academic Performance Outcomes of a

Classroom Physical Activity Intervention: A Pilot Study. International Electronic

Journal of Elementary Education,4(3), 473-487.

Hassevoort, K. M., Khan, N. A., Hillman, C. H., & Cohen, N. J. (2016). Childhood Markers of

Health Behavior Relate to Hippocampal Health, Memory, and Academic

Performance. Mind, Brain, and Education,10(3), 162-170. doi:10.1111/mbe.12108

Mcclelland, E., Pitt, A., & Stein, J. (2014). Enhanced academic performance using a novel

classroom physical activity intervention to increase awareness, attention and self-control:

Putting embodied cognition into practice. Improving Schools,18(1), 83-100.

doi:10.1177/1365480214562125

Mullender-Wijnsma, M. J., Hartman, E., Greeff, J. W., Bosker, R. J., Doolaard, S., & Visscher,
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C. (2015). Improving Academic Performance of School-Age Children by Physical

Activity in the Classroom: 1-Year Program Evaluation. Journal of School Health,85(6),

365-371. doi:10.1111/josh.12259

Mahar, M. T., Murphy, S. K., Rowe, D. A., Golden, J., Shields, A. T., & Raedeke, T. D. (2006).

Effects of a classroom-based program on physical activity and on-task behavior.

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 38(12), 2086-2094.

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