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Will a regular exercise program improve the grades of a school aged children? The modern school educates children with one objective in mind: their academic success. The aim of our study is to examine whether there is a relationship between physical activity and academic success, so the independent variable in our study will be physical activity, whereas the dependent variable will be academic success of a school aged children (academic performance, grades, etc). This research focuses on the ability of school program using physical exercises to improve academic performance of a school aged children. What is the measure of academic success? Can we measure it with scientific mind?
Can we measure it with control of emotions? We cannot consider IQ the only measure for academic success. Yet, there are several measures for academic success: grade, the standardized academic score, etc. Physical activity in school can be measured by types of exercises, average time per week, etc. Evidence in the literature indicates that physical activity does influence grades of a school aged children, suggesting that improvement of grades is real. The research is based on analyses of 2002 - 2003 data from over 500 schools.
The additional activity program was chosen to improve the academic success. Students had physical education program twice a week, including inside activity. The researchers proposed new experimental program that included physical education four times per week (one hour each time), with both outside and inside activities. Over a period of twelve weeks test scores improved significantly, with reading scores increasing by 20 %. The lowest-performing students showed similar improvement in math skills, increasing by 35 %. The researchers also noticed that systemic improvement of grades can be cumulative.
These results can be important for those who desire to use physical activity as an option to improve grades. Here we find that proposed physical activity program is positively related to improving school grades. The side effects of this physical program were not measured. Yet, the side effects were expressed by parents and teachers as improved concentration, good health, low percentage of diseases, and were treated as positive.
A qualitative analysis comparing average academic success before and after implementation of physical activity program revealed that the experiment had significant impact on academic performance. The research also showed independent improvement occurring in every school subject (reading, writing, mathematics, grammar, physics, etc). Another study also demonstrates a significant correlation between quality health education instruction and academic success. A study conducted by the New York City Board of Education reported higher reading and mathematics scores by Growing Healthy students, improved student learning skills, attitudes, self-esteem, and working cooperatively with their peers ("The Effects, 1987). In this study 259 high-risk youth in grades 9 through 12 in the Pacific Northwest, participants in a life-skills class showed increased grade point averages (Gpa's) across all classes while the Gpa's of the control group stayed essentially the same (Eggert, 1994). Class time for academics was reduced by 240 minutes per week to substitute it with physical activity program.
Over a period of 4 months mathematics test scores were much higher (by 15 % more) for this test group that for a group that didnt have additional physical programs. In this study, mathematic scores were matched with fitness scores of 1, 000 children. The findings of research showed that all children demonstrated improvements in grades irrespective of age or gender. Over a long-term application of additional physical program for a school aged children, the research tells us that the impact of enhanced physical activity to academic success is significant. Article. (No date). "The Effects of the Growing Healthy Program Upon Children's Academic Performance and Attendance in New York City, 1987 - 1988. " Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment, New York City Board of Education. Eggert, L.
L. , E. A. Thompson, J. R. Hosting et al. (1994). "Preventing Adolescent Drug Abuse and High School Dropout Through an Intensive School-Based Network Development Program. " American Journal of Health Promotion 8, no. 3: 202 - 15.
Free research essays on topics related to: academic success, school aged children, academic performance, board of education, physical activity
Research essay sample on School Aged Children Board Of Education
