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THE RELATIONSHIP OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE IN YOUTH
Schools in the United States are being attacked for the low-test
scores of youth. In an effort to address the situation, many school
boards have decided or are considering decreasing the requirements
for extracurricular time and have started to include physical
education as a part of that extracurricular time thereby decreasing
physical education time requirements (Langford & Carter, 2003).
These decisions have been based on arguments that such activities
harm academic performance by tiring the children, taking focus
off education, and/or taking time from learning (Linder, 1999).
However, youth receiving additional physical activity tend to
show improved attributes such as increased brain function and
nourishment, higher energy/concentration levels, changes in body
build affecting self esteem, increased self-esteem and better
behavior which may all support cognitive learning (Cocke, 2002)
(Tremblay, Inman, & Willms, 2000) (Dwyer, Coonan, Leitch,
Hetzel, & Baghurst, 1983) (Shephard, 1997). Additionally,
a positive relationship of physical activity and academic performance
has been explored through several studies conducted by the California
Department of Education; Dwyer, Sallis, Blizzard, Lazarus, &
Dean (2001); Dwyer et al. (1983); Linder (1999); Linder (2002);
Shephard (1997); Tremblay et al. (2000); and others. These studies
support one another in suggesting that when a substantial amount
of school time is dedicated to physical activity, academic performance
meets and may even exceed that of students not receiving additional
physical activity (Shephard, 1997). School boards need to realize
the importance of in-school exercise for the physical and cognitive
being. The potential attributes that result from exercise and
may affect cognitive learning as well as the research that supports
a positive relationship between physical activity and academic
performance should be reviewed.
Studies
Numerous experimental studies and journal articles addressing
the relationship between physical activity and academic performance
have been completed and professionally published. The majority
of the studies are cross-sectional however a few longitudinal
studies have been conducted as well. Because of the multitude
of studies only a few will be explained in detail on this site.
However, an inclusive table summarizing studies that generally
depict positive relationships between physical activity and academic
performance can be found here:
Table
of Studies
Cross-sectional Studies:
The cross-sectional studies, individually depicted on the above
table, are similar in their sample populations and dissimilar
in their physical activity and academic performance measurement
test forms. The majority of the studies include large samples
of children and youth between the ages of 10 and 18 years. The
measurements for physical activity include questionnaires of personal
perceived physical activity and/or professionally and school representative
administered fitness tests. Academic performance measurements
range from personal perceived academic performance questionnaires
to teacher assessments to teacher/school representative administered
tests to government mandated standardized testing. The cross-sectional
nature of these studies makes causal and correlational conclusions
limited and difficult. Results are limited in showing whether
it was the physical activity and/or fitness levels that determined
the higher academic performance, or if it was some other outside
unaccounted for variable which affected the academic success.
The following are summaries of these studies:
California
Statewide Study of Physically Fit Kids
Relation
of Academic Performance to Physical Activity and Fitness in Children
Sport
Participation and Perceived Academic Performance of School Children
and Youth
Longitudinal Studies:
Few longitudinal studies have addressed the physical activity
and academic relationship. Studies that are available tend to
be in languages other than English, making it difficult for those
limited to the English language to directly research and examine
their results. However, through reviewing professional English
published journal articles that examine the foreign studies, one
can see a positive exercise/academic performance relationship.
The direct causality and correlation of the two subjects however
still cannot be established. The following are summaries of these
studies:
School
Health, Academic Performance and Exercise (SHAPE) Study
The
Trois Rivieres Experience
Vanves,
France Study
Study Limitations and Debates
Study limitations
on the relationship of physical activity and academic performance
are vast because causation, personal assessments, study bias,
population attributes and physiological changes in children are
difficult to establish and/or measure. Additionally there are
many debates
and opposing theories such as parental rules, athlete personas,
and genetics/fetal nutrition.
After thoroughly investigating the possible attributes related
to physical activity and academic performance and reviewing the
research studies that support a possible positive relationship,
one still cannot attribute direct or indirect causation to the
relationship. For example, one cannot directly infer that an increase
in physical activity would improve self-esteem, which causes better
classroom behavior resulting in better grades. However, because
of the multitude of studies that observe positive relationships
between the increase in activity and improved academic performance,
it is worthy to consider that a positive relationship may exist.
School boards should take this into consideration when contemplating
curriculum strategies designed to enhance the problematic test
scores that are evident in today's youth. Perhaps instead of decreasing
physical education time requirements, school officials should
consider developing enhanced physical activity programs.
-Leslee Scheuer
View
my References
In our advocacy of Physical Education, we must be able to fully
understand and present information on all the benefits of physical
activity. The following is a PowerPoint presentation developed
in correlation with this article:
Relationship
of Physical Activity and Academic Performance
Please feel free to use it as a resource in presentations for
your community.
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