The effectiveness of one “physical education minute” during lessons to develop concentration in 8- to 10-year-old schoolchildren
The demands of the school day, which includes multiple lessons, require sustained attention from students; this can be challenging, especially for young children. Concentration of attention is a critical cognitive function that impacts learning. This study involved 129 healthy schoolchildren aged 8–...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2023.1283296/full |
| _version_ | 1797629416075952128 |
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| author | Georgiy Polevoy Georgiy Polevoy Florin Cazan Johnny Padulo Luca Paolo Ardigò |
| author_facet | Georgiy Polevoy Georgiy Polevoy Florin Cazan Johnny Padulo Luca Paolo Ardigò |
| author_sort | Georgiy Polevoy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The demands of the school day, which includes multiple lessons, require sustained attention from students; this can be challenging, especially for young children. Concentration of attention is a critical cognitive function that impacts learning. This study involved 129 healthy schoolchildren aged 8–10 years (spanning grades 2 and 3) from a regular secondary school in Kirov, Russian Federation. A “physical education minute” (PEM), consisting of various physical exercises, was introduced during the middle of a regular lesson for the experimental group (EG), while the control group (CG) continued with their regular studies. Concentration and attention were assessed before and after the PEM using the Bourdon test. The Bourdon test results indicated a significant decrease in concentration during the lesson for the CG (p < 0.001), while the EG exhibited significant improvement in concentration after the PEM (p < 0.001). The effect size was large, demonstrating a substantial impact of this break for physical activity on concentration. It can be concluded that implementing a set of exercises in the form of a PEM in the middle of a lesson significantly improves concentration among students aged 8–10. This study underscores the effectiveness of integrating short breaks for physical activity into the daily classroom routine, ultimately benefiting students' attention, learning, and overall educational experience. Further research could explore additional factors affecting concentration and the long-term effects of the PEM on cognitive development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:54:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ea25ed98e454ffa9e2f0d76f4d0bc74 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2624-9367 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:54:00Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ea25ed98e454ffa9e2f0d76f4d0bc742023-11-13T12:22:24ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sports and Active Living2624-93672023-11-01510.3389/fspor.2023.12832961283296The effectiveness of one “physical education minute” during lessons to develop concentration in 8- to 10-year-old schoolchildrenGeorgiy Polevoy0Georgiy Polevoy1Florin Cazan2Johnny Padulo3Luca Paolo Ardigò4Department of Physical Education, Moscow Polytechnic University, Moscow, RussiaFederal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education, Vyatka State University, Kirov, RussiaFaculty of Physical Education and Sport, Ovidius University of Constanta, Constantia, RomaniaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences for Health (SCIBIS), Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Teacher Education, NLA University College, Oslo, NorwayThe demands of the school day, which includes multiple lessons, require sustained attention from students; this can be challenging, especially for young children. Concentration of attention is a critical cognitive function that impacts learning. This study involved 129 healthy schoolchildren aged 8–10 years (spanning grades 2 and 3) from a regular secondary school in Kirov, Russian Federation. A “physical education minute” (PEM), consisting of various physical exercises, was introduced during the middle of a regular lesson for the experimental group (EG), while the control group (CG) continued with their regular studies. Concentration and attention were assessed before and after the PEM using the Bourdon test. The Bourdon test results indicated a significant decrease in concentration during the lesson for the CG (p < 0.001), while the EG exhibited significant improvement in concentration after the PEM (p < 0.001). The effect size was large, demonstrating a substantial impact of this break for physical activity on concentration. It can be concluded that implementing a set of exercises in the form of a PEM in the middle of a lesson significantly improves concentration among students aged 8–10. This study underscores the effectiveness of integrating short breaks for physical activity into the daily classroom routine, ultimately benefiting students' attention, learning, and overall educational experience. Further research could explore additional factors affecting concentration and the long-term effects of the PEM on cognitive development.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2023.1283296/fullschoolchildrenlessonphysical educationhealthconcentration |
| spellingShingle | Georgiy Polevoy Georgiy Polevoy Florin Cazan Johnny Padulo Luca Paolo Ardigò The effectiveness of one “physical education minute” during lessons to develop concentration in 8- to 10-year-old schoolchildren Frontiers in Sports and Active Living schoolchildren lesson physical education health concentration |
| title | The effectiveness of one “physical education minute” during lessons to develop concentration in 8- to 10-year-old schoolchildren |
| title_full | The effectiveness of one “physical education minute” during lessons to develop concentration in 8- to 10-year-old schoolchildren |
| title_fullStr | The effectiveness of one “physical education minute” during lessons to develop concentration in 8- to 10-year-old schoolchildren |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effectiveness of one “physical education minute” during lessons to develop concentration in 8- to 10-year-old schoolchildren |
| title_short | The effectiveness of one “physical education minute” during lessons to develop concentration in 8- to 10-year-old schoolchildren |
| title_sort | effectiveness of one physical education minute during lessons to develop concentration in 8 to 10 year old schoolchildren |
| topic | schoolchildren lesson physical education health concentration |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2023.1283296/full |
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