ance requires more research, available
evidence suggests that the academic
mission of schools may be better served
by providing more opportunities for
physical activity. In fact, controlled
studies strongly suggest that engaging in
physical activity throughout the school
day makes students more focused and
ready to learn.
Research has shown that aerobic exercise can improve memory and executive
functioning in school-age youth, especially those who are overweight (Buck,
students daily 10-minute breaks for
organized physical activity. Researchers
observed students in grades K through 5
for 30 minutes before and after each
break. On average, the activity breaks
increased on-task behavior by 8 percent.
Among students who tended to be least
focused in class, the breaks improved
on-task behavior by 20 percent (Mahar
et al., 2006).
Researchers don’t understand well the
tions. For one, the majority of studies
have been conducted at the elementary
school level; we need additional studies
in middle and high schools. In addition,
most studies use the amount of time
spent in physical education as the key
independent variable, without considering the quality of instruction. Studies
of the effects of in-school physical
activity on cognitive functioning also
often lack what researchers call ecolog-
may be better served by providing more opportunities for physical activity.
The academic
mission of schools
Hillman, & Castelli, 2008; Davis et al.,
2007). Drawing on a meta-analysis of
more than 40 studies that looked at
how engaging in regular physical
training affects cognition, Sibley and
Etnier (2003) concluded that regular
physical activity significantly improves
multiple categories of cognitive function
in children and adolescents. Researchers
found improvements in perceptual
skills, IQ, scores on verbal and mathematics tests, concentration, memory,
achievement (as measured by a combination of standardized test scores and
grades), and academic readiness.
Giving students breaks for physical
activity throughout the school day can
significantly increase on-task behavior.
A study conducted in North Carolina
evaluated the effects of a classroom-based program that, for 12 weeks, gave
physiological mechanisms responsible
for enhancements in cognition related to
physical activity. However, emerging
evidence from neuroscience suggests
that regular physical activity promotes
the growth of new brain cells, stimulates
formation of blood vessels in the brain,
and enhances synaptic activity or
communication among brain cells
(Hillman, Erickson, & Kramer, 2008).
What We Can Safely Conclude
The research on the relationship
between physical education and
academic performance does have limita-
ical validity (transferability of findings).
For example, research findings may not
transfer to school physical education
settings if a study was conducted in a
lab or if the type, amount, or intensity
of physical activity in the study differed
greatly from a typical session in a school
gymnasium.
Perhaps most important, we know
too little about the effect of in-school
physical education on academic
performance among students at the
highest risk for obesity, including low-income children and those from black,
Latino, American Indian, and Pacific
