Study Limitations

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. Shephard (1984) states a limitation in studies of the relationship of physical activity and academic performance also tend to use cross-sectional data. Causation is difficult to establish because one can not be certain that the gain in academic performance was in fact caused by the physical activity, self-esteem developed from the physical activity, and/or self-esteem developed from some other source (Linder, 1999). Next, many studies use the students’ personal assessments of academic performance and or athletic experience. This may give an inaccurate measurement of the actual variables claimed to be measured. In fact it may measure self-efficacy and self-esteem rather than the child’s actual abilities (Linder, 2002). Study bias becomes an issue when the teachers are measuring academic performance. Because the majority of the teachers support the studies, they may develop a “halo affect” which encourages them to unconsciously rate the children with increased physical education to have an academic advantage and/or better classroom conduct (Shephard, 1997) (Shephard & Lavallee, 1993). The study of special populations makes population attributes difficult to measure. For example, children who naturally have an athletic ability may naturally have academic ability and vise-versa (Geron, 1996). Physiological changes in children are also difficult to measure because of the changes due to natural physiological growth (Rowland, 2000) For example, how does one compare the maximal oxygen uptake of a child at 5 years of age and then again at 9 years of age and show if the changes are due to physical activity or natural physiological growth? The use of cross-sectional studies also limits the conclusions that can be made about the physical/academic relationship because they often consist of short durations of increased activity and limit causation inferration (Shephard, 1984) (Dwyer et al., 2001). In conclusion the excessive use of cross-sectional studies and the difficulty in measuring and establishing causation, personal assessments, study bias, population attributes and physiological changes in children are the many limitations to the current studies addressing the relationship between physical activity and academic performance.

By Leslee Scheuer, Tech Impact Grant Coordinator, University of Central Florida, 2003/2004