“It’s a battle … you want to do it, but howwill you get it done?”: Teachers’ and principals’ perceptions of implementing additional physical activity in school for academic performance

Vera van den Berg, Rosanne Salimi, Renate H.M. de Groot, Jelle Jolles, Mai J.M. Chinapaw, Amika S. Singh*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

School is an ideal setting to promote and increase physical activity (PA) in children. However, implementation of school-based PA programmes seems difficult, in particular due to schools’ focus on academic performance and a lack of involvement of school staff in program development. The potential cognitive and academic benefits of PA might increase chances of successful implementation. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study was: (1) to explore the perceptions of teachers and principals with regard to implementation of additional PA aimed at improving cognitive and academic performance, and (2) to identify characteristics of PA programmes that according to them are feasible in daily school practice. Twenty-six face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary school teachers (grades 5 and 6) and principals in The Netherlands, and analysed using inductive content analysis. Teachers and principals expressed their willingness to implement additional PA if it benefits learning. Time constraints appeared to be a major barrier, and strongly influenced participants’ perceptions of feasible PA programmes. Teachers and principals emphasised that additional PA needs to be short, executed in the classroom, and provided in “ready-to-use” materials, i.e., that require no or little preparation time (e.g., a movie clip). Future research is needed to strengthen the evidence on the effects of PA for academic purposes, and should examine the forms of PA that are both effective as well as feasible in the school setting.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1160
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume14
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2017

Funding

Department of Public and Occupational Health, the Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; [email protected] (V.v.d.B.); [email protected] (R.S.); [email protected] (M.J.M.C.) Welten Institute—Research Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology, Open University of the Netherlands, 6419 AT Heerlen, The Netherlands; [email protected] Department of Complex Genetics, School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism/Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands Centre for Brain and Learning, Faculty of Psychology and Education, LEARN! Institute, VU University Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; [email protected] Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +31-20-444-9696 Acknowledgments: This study was funded by The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO; project number 328-98-003). We would like to thank all teachers and principals for their significant contribution in this study. Our gratitude also goes to the four interviewers and Jael de Jong-Weissmann (Hogeschool Windesheim) for their contribution during the data collection.

FundersFunder number
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute
Netherlands Centre for Brain and Learning, Faculty of Psychology and Education
The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
Open University
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Universiteit Maastricht
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek328-98-003
of Health

    Keywords

    • Academic performance
    • Feasibility
    • Intervention development
    • Interviews
    • Perceptions principals
    • Perceptions teachers
    • Physical activity
    • Qualitative research
    • School setting

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