Effect of an 8-week programme of active breaks between classes on cognitive variables in secondary school

ABSTRACT

The aim was to determine the effect of an 8-week programme of active breaks on memory, attention-concentration, mathematical calculation, linguistic reasoning and creativity in adolescent students. One-hundred-sixty-two adolescents (12.27 ± 0.47 years; range = 12 13 years) participated in this study. The intervention was based on four daily active breaks of 4 minutes each at moderate-high intensity (controlled with pulsometry). To analyse the effect of 8 weeks of active breaks, we utilised repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with two groups (control group and experimental group) × two times (pre and post). Each cognitive measure was used as a dependent variable, the group was the fixed factor and age, body mass index, hours of daily study and physical activity were covariates. The results showed that the programme increased attention by 11.7% (p < .001), concentration by 10.9% (p = .002) and mathematical calculation by 13.1% (p = .015). We suggest including 4 minutes of this kind of active breaks to improve important school variables.

KEYWORDS:

• Physically active breaks
• school physical activity
• movement
• executive functions, cognitive performance
• academic performance

Highlights

• We suggest four school active breaks of 4 minutes each at moderate-high intensity.

• The active breaks were based on the C-HIIT programme adding cognitive aspects.

• Active breaks improve attention, concentration and mathematical calculation.

• Pulsometry could be a motivational gadget for the active breaks.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This paper has been partly supported by the I+D+I research project [grant number RTI2018-095878-B100] and support was also received from the University Teaching Staff Programme [grant number: AP-2016/07226], both administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Government of Spain.

Notes on contributors

Alberto Ruiz-Ariza

Alberto Ruiz-Ariza, PhD International Doctor in Didactical Innovation and Teacher Training. He is currently Associate Professor at the University of Jaen. He has carried out research stays in several countries, for example in the Playful Learning Center at the Faculty of Education in Helsinki (Finland). He has published in JCR-Q1 in the area of “Education and Educational Research” on the use of physical activity as a key element for the promotion of cognitive and academic performance.

Sara Suárez-Manzano

Sara Suárez-Manzano, PhD International Doctor in Didactical Innovation and Teacher Training. She is currently Assistant Professor at the University of Jaen. She has carried out several research stays, highlighting the stay in the Faculty of Education in Helsinki (Finland). She is a specialist in physical activity as a key element for improving cognition and behaviour in schoolchildren with learning difficulties. She has published in JCR-Q1 in the area of “Education and Educational Research”. She has won several awards for academic excellence.

Alberto Mezcua-Hidalgo

Alberto Mezcua-Hidalgo, PhD International Doctor in Didactical Innovation and Teacher Training. He is currently Teacher in Physical Education. He has carried out research stays in Portugal and has published in JCR and SJR on active stimulus in educational context.

Emilio J. Martínez-López

Emilio J. Martínez-López, PhD Doctor in Physical Education at the University of Granada (Spain). He is currently Professor at the Faculty of Education Sciences in the University of Jaén, and coordinator of the Master’s Degree in Research and Teaching in Physical Activity. He is the main researcher in R+D+I projects (Code: RTI2018-095878-B-100). It has published many publications of books, chapters and articles, highlighting several JCR-Q1 in “Education and Educational Research.”