Physical Education - Science topic

STEM education can be used in physical education and sports classes. It is especially effective when using techniques to improve children's concentration, teamwork, and information acquisition skills.

El Diseño de un Entorno de Aprendizaje Rizomático en Educación Física busca transformar el aula en un espacio de exploración y autonomía, donde cada estudiante es el protagonista de su propio aprendizaje. A través de estrategias rizomáticas, se fomenta un enfoque dinámico y sin limitaciones, que conecta conceptos de educación física con competencias socioemocionales, promoviendo el "aprender a aprender". Este entorno permite que los estudiantes desarrollen habilidades de auto-dirección, colaboración y adaptación, aplicando el conocimiento en contextos diversos y en constante cambio. Más allá de las actividades físicas, el entorno rizomático impulsa el pensamiento crítico y la creatividad, formando individuos capaces de aprender de manera continua y significativa.

The subject of geography (Includes carbon cycle) that used to be taught at schools (in Canada among others) should return now that we have a problem with the weather.

The global warming trend ("the summer of 2024 was the warmest ever" in history) also should be explained. We used to think that CO2 was the only guilty party, now it turns out that water vapour, being the stronger "greenhouse gas" is doing the most damage to our temperature and warming of the oceans.

I don't know about Brazil, but here in middle Canada the humidity used to be in the 30% range has jumped to 70 % in the last 5 years or more.

Once school children and university students are aware of these phenomena some action could be taken. As for todays adults we are too busy making weapons and killing each other, so that little action has been undertaken.

Pity!

I do wish people would stop spamming the question area with ads, like this.

Coaches must achieve a balance in the psychological state of their athletes; this may include relaxation techniques, deepening emotional intelligence, practicing meditation or requesting the support of a sports psychologist. To practice resilience and perseverance, to do so, you must carefully plan each training session and carry out a continuous evaluation of the physical and mental preparation of the athlete in your charge; To motivate the athlete, another of their tasks is to set a series of objectives with the person they train and design action plans to achieve them.

Estas creo que le pueden ayudar, al menos dos son del 2019 y no están tan atrasadas.

To evaluate the external effectiveness of initial teacher training in PE, generally:

- Define Evaluation Criteria:

a. Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) for effective PE teacher training.

b. Criteria may include teaching methods, subject knowledge, communication skills, and ability to integrate technology.

- Engage Stakeholders:

a. Consult with teachers, students, parents, and educational authorities.

b. Gather feedback on the perceived effectiveness of the training program.

- Observations:

a. Conduct observations of PE classes taught by recently trained teachers.

b. Assess instructional methods, class management, and student engagement.

- Assess Teacher Knowledge:

a. Evaluate teachers' understanding of PE concepts and curriculum.

b. Use standardized tests or assessments to measure subject-specific knowledge.

- Professional Development Opportunities:

a. Explore if teachers have access to ongoing professional development.

b. Assess the impact of continued learning on teaching practices.

- Student Performance:

a. Evaluate students' performance in PE classes.

b. Consider the correlation between teacher training quality and student outcomes.

- Program Resources:

a. Assess the availability and quality of resources provided during the training.

b. Ensure teachers have access to necessary materials and equipment.

- objective assessment :

a. Examine how well the teacher training aligns with national education objectives.

b. Ensure the curriculum meets the needs of Moroccan schools.

- Continuous Feedback Mechanism:

a. Implement a system for continuous feedback from teachers and schools.

b. Use this feedback to make necessary adjustments to the training program.

To boost students' motivation in Physical Education and Sports Lessons, consider the following strategies:

1. **Variety of Activities:** Introduce a diverse range of sports and physical activities to cater to different interests and preferences. This keeps the lessons engaging and allows students to discover activities they enjoy.

2. **Incorporate Technology:** Utilize technology, such as fitness apps or interactive sports simulations, to make lessons more dynamic and appealing to tech-savvy students.

3. **Set Achievable Goals:** Establish realistic and attainable goals for students, both individually and collectively. Celebrate their achievements, fostering a sense of accomplishment and motivation.

4. **Positive Reinforcement:** Provide positive feedback and recognition for effort and improvement. Encouragement helps build confidence and motivates students to participate actively.

5. **Team Building:** Integrate team sports and cooperative activities to promote a sense of camaraderie. Teamwork can enhance motivation by creating a supportive and inclusive environment.

6. **Relate to Real-Life Relevance:** Connect physical education concepts to real-life scenarios, emphasizing the practical applications of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle.

7. **Choice and Autonomy:** Allow students to have some choice in selecting activities or designing their fitness routines. Providing autonomy can increase their sense of ownership and motivation.

8. **Guest Speakers or Demonstrations:** Invite sports professionals, coaches, or athletes for guest talks or demonstrations. This exposure can inspire students and provide real-world insights into the benefits of physical activity.

9. **Incorporate Fun Challenges:** Create friendly competitions or challenges that add an element of fun to the lessons. Friendly competition can boost motivation and make the learning experience enjoyable.

10. **Adapt to Individual Needs:** Recognize and accommodate individual differences in fitness levels and interests. Tailor activities to suit various skill levels, ensuring that all students feel included and motivated.

Remember, fostering a positive and supportive learning environment, coupled with diverse and enjoyable activities, can significantly contribute to increased motivation in Physical Education and Sports Lessons.

Dear Ana Santos ,

Stay away from this one. The journal is published by ARPID and this ‘publisher’ is discussed not favorable here on RG before (see for example my reply of August 20th, 2021): https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_would_you_do_if_a_journal_did_not_publish_your_manuscript_in_the_scheduled_time/

Best regards.

"Qualitative Inquiry in Education". Esta revista se dedica específicamente a promover la investigación cualitativa en el ámbito educativo, incluyendo enfoques y metodologías relacionadas con la evaluación.

These are just a few examples of strategies that can be used to engage students in Physical Education at the graduate school level. It's important to consider the unique needs and interests of each student to create an engaging and effective learning experience.

Hi Tutu.

Alternatively you may use the online meetings like Microsoftware groups, webinars and virtual meetings.

I Follow.

Sorry but I really don't know.............My greetings

Buenas Julio,

Se me vienen a la cabeza estos dos.

Menéndez Santurio, J. I., & Fernández-Río, J. (2018). Versión española de la escala de necesidades psicológicas básicas en educación física. Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte.

MURCIA, J. A. M., COLL, D. G. C., GARZÓN, M. C., & ROJAS, N. P. (2008). Adaptación a la educación física de la escala de las necesidades psicológicas básicas en el ejercicio. Revista Mexicana de Psicología, 25(2), 295-303.

Un saludo,

Javi

Dear participants in Research Gate. I receive research results that do not fall within the scope of my specializations. I am a Professor of Law and Physical Education and Sports as well ... I collaborate with Babes-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca and the National Academy of Physical Education and Sports Bucharest (both in Romania) and lead doctoral theses at Constantin Stere University in Chisinau - in the specialty of law (Republic of Moldova).

Farid Mouissi I have created a couple of tools to calculate the variables from IPAQ short and long version.

They are available in my profile:

Long version tool -> Code IPAQ-LongForm spreadsheet tool

Short version tool -> Code IPAQ-ShortForm spreadsheet tool

I hope they are useful for you.

Best.

using E-learning tools is very promising in many countries but in other countries, it is still out of their map due to the networks, security... I recommend the use of Youtube or recorded lectures for such countries suffer from the low speed of the network.

Thank you. That is very helpful.

Dear Seung,

Could you provide us specific details about your main objective and the target population? A first quickly search may give you a overview.

Great answer Carl. Students' interest and students' perceptions take an important role in this topic.

Matt Robert Benkic I am all for inclusion, but your question depends a lot on the student in question. It also depends greatly on the school, the teacher and the fellow students. It means a lot of thinking, talking and planning from all parties. Even the parents can be a challenge to persuade that this is good use of school hours. I know it sounds bad, but it is often much worse than it sounds. I have seen lovely integration that benefits both the student with disability and his or her fellow students. I have also seen quasi-integration were the student with disability is just humiliated and the fellow students have not understood the educational value of cooparation and solidarity. The fellow students learn nothing and the distance between the students becomes even bigger. I know children with intellectual disabilities that will struggle to cooperate for more than a few minutes. The level of competence required by the fellow students to make an inclusion possible in these cases might just be too far away. Remember that real inclusion is a development project in itself. If it is taken seriously it can benefit all greatly. If it is taken lightly inclusion can sometimes be damaging and degrading.

I have a preprint in this journal. My article was about a Gamified System in Learning Deaf Persons

https://ubi-learn.com/journal

Also for more good reputation journals you can read this discussion, it contains many sources

Good luck

Samaa

Se volete testare uno StrongMan agonista nella categoria -90, sono disponibile

Dear Radivoj

I am an exercise physiologist. I am working as an assistant professor for past 2 years. Kindly clarify whether you have teaching experience after your doctoral degree. Depending on the experience, salary differs. But I assure you that you will enjoy the  work environment.

The cost of accommodation is cheap (around 1/7 th of your salary). The food is reasonable. Kindly contact Dr. Fiddy davis (HOD) on his mail id fiddy.davis@manipal.edu or phone 9448252299 through sype.

Contact me for further details

Baskaran Chandrasekaran

Hi Cheng Li,

The most used adults' cut points in ActiGraph GT3X/+ accelerometers are those proposed by Freedson et al. (1998). Although they could not be the most accurate, you have to consider collecting information using the same methods, so that the data can be comparable.

For helping you in your decisions, please see the attached file.

Good work.

Ricardo Gonçalves

Not sure if a minimum age range was ever established for the NASA-TLX; the original guide document has not made reference to this. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any information about age-ranges for use.

Dear Silke,

You can find the Dutch translated version of Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ) here:

Simons J, Theunissen I. (2005) Beleving van fysieke competentie bijjongeren  aan  de  hand  van  de physical self-description questionnaire. Simons, J. (Ed.),  Actuele themata uit de psychomotorische therapie. Jaarboek  2005.  (Actual  themes  from  psychomotor  therapy:  Yearbook  2005)  Leuven/Voorburg:  Acco,  pp.  11-35.  https://lirias.kuleuven.be/handle/123456789/55175

If you can’t borrow the book, I would contact Prof. Dr. Johan Simons directly:

Johan Simons (Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, O&N IV Herestraat 49 - box 1510, 3000 Leuven): http://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00011514

Best wishes from Munich,

Martin

Thank you Evelyn, and sorry for my poor english.

This study is not exactly what I want.

I will also read it. It's seems interesting.Tthanks for your help,

Greetings from Spain.

The attached papers show the effect of education policy on the practice of higher education institutions:

The problem is that "social skills" and interactions is so broad that you might need to narrow down the range of behaviors you want to look at. For example, in such a population you might want to measure things like any verbal bid directed at a peer, responses to another peer's action with a verbal or gestural response or gaze, etc. - basically some well-defines set of socially relevant (appropriate or inappropriate) responses that are high-variability in the population, and targets of intervention. Then, as in the first response, you need to track the incidence of these over time, and apply sequential analysis stats to describe changes over time. You also need a comparison context - some other program that has all the same properties (e.g., cardiovascular exercise, gross motor activity, presence of other people) but not the same opportunities for social interaction - maybe like an aerobics class where there's relatively little interaction. The point is, you can't show effects of the interaction unless you compare it to a well-matched alternative. There are sequential analysis approaches (clunky but useable) to showing different trajectories of change over time. You can also look at sequences of social actions - this is where sequential analyses get more interesting and useful - to see whether the kids get more socially *responsive*, in specific way, with experience. Good luck.

Thaks for your reply Prof. mahajan..iam looking for effect pe to healt active life style..esp3cially for college student. Thank you..i really appreciate your help.

Thankz for your reply Prof  Szabo...your journal is very good refference for me. May I have your e-mail?.

@Guilliber Carlos Fonseca: Your English was perfectly understandable. :-)

@ Guilliber Carlos Fonseca and Hamdy Elsaid abd elhamed Elnawasry: 

Thank you for your article references. I have downloaded them. Having glanced over a few of them I can say with certainty that there are articles that will be of help to me. Thank you very much for your assistance! 

Kind regards,

Roy 

dear

Syed muhammad Ishaak

i hope the following site help you

best regards hamdy

Olá Ana,

It's a large question, interesting but and I think that a little complicated it. However, I will try to reply it. In any case, I recommend a book, which deal with your question: Sport Development in the United States: High Performance and Mass Participation. 

So,  I found it, however, only a little presentation. In this way, I recommend also you look mainly the research and studies which are developped in the USA Universities, I'm sure there are many centers of excellence in trainning for athletes in these Universities. Indeed, independently of sports modality. They apply a model of trainning that we know it's efficient, and many other countries apply successfully it .  

I hope this helps.

Sinecerely yours.

Dear Hamdy,

Thank you very much for your help.

Regards,

Roberto

En mi página puedes encontrar bastantes: https://es.pinterest.com/TGfUresources/

Dear Melissa,

   It is only my opinion but If these are teacher candidates then they should be put to work! There is no reason why they cannot, in smaller or larger groups, be made responsible for presenting key parts of the material to their peers. Text, video or other resources can be found as a backstop against poor performance. However, if they are going to be teaching soon they need to learn how to develop lesson plans "from scratch' - starting with material they are not entirely familiar with and going all the way to delivery. 28 adults is not harder to deal with then the classes they are likely to be teaching in the future.

I don't think that IPAQ is intended for use with children, Michael.

Hello Philippe, 

To answer to your questions. I can suggest to you 2 articles that could be very useful:

- Are people becoming inactive due to lack of knowledge of practical recommendations for physical activity, as well as the volume and intensity to achieve health benefits?

1. The main point is that people become inactive because the environment reduce the places and stimulus to be active (e.g. escalators, elevators, cars and sedentary work time). People recognize Physical inactivity as health-harming and yet continue to engage in. There is no lack of knowledge of recommendations, its a lack of control over behavior, awareness and consciousness, that means Habit and automatic processes that guide the human behavior. Read the first attached article about "Changing human behaviors".

- Would an intervention program based on the recommendations of health would increase levels of physical activity?

2. The most part of interventions aimed at changing behaviors have largely encouraged people to reflect on their behaviors (intentions, decisions,motivations or the social cognitive theories like “Theory of Planned Behavior”). Meanwhile, these approaches are often ineffectual, which is in keeping with the observation that much human behavior is automatic, cued by environmental stimuli, resulting in actions that are largely unaccompanied by conscious reflection.

The automatic aspect of human behavior: lack of intentionality, low degree of control over the behavior, lack of awareness and efficiency (Bargh, 1994), it is crucial for the understanding of the habit and his role in the regular and long-term adoption of health-related behaviours (Lally, Chipperfield & Wardle, 2008). 

If we consider these features of human behavior, i am afraid to say that an intervention program based on the recommendations of health would not increase the levels of physical activity. In fact, you must pay attention to the measure to asses physical activity levels. Read the second attached article about "Habits".

I hope that my answer could be useful for you. 

Best wishes, 

Gonzalo

It's quite hard to determine "ideal" exercise duration and intensity that improves cognitive health. My opinion is that main part of the regular PE class (about 25-30 min) with intensity above adaptation threshold (60-70%) is sufficient time to achieve good results. According to some studies complex motor tasks that require good coordination are key for the creation of new neural pathways and synaptogenesis. Personal tip - obstacle courses are great fun and challenge for all children/adolescents.

Allometric scaling provides a method for examining the structural and functional consequences of changes in size and scale among organisms.

We are looking at including a dietitian with our interprofessional team, too.

It would be great to discuss.

Thanks

Can't help you there with a specific reference but I think it would make a great study. I have used visual methodology, with a colleague, to explore our teaching of outdoor education  which in New Zealand is a PE context. We look at the way we have used experiential learning in our teacher education for outdoor education.

Dear Jennifer,

you're right, there is a lack of information regarding the prevalence of engaging in resistance training among Canadian adults, and specifically older adult. But I think you can use the following new thesis “An examination of resistance training behaviours among older adults in Alberta” by Erin A. Bampton (Athabasca University; April 2015): https://dt.athabascau.ca/jspui/bitstream/10791/153/7/Bampton%20Thesis%20April%2022%202015.pdf

Best wishes from Germany

Martin

Awat,

There has been a great deal of research on different types of instructional techniques and their impact on skill acquistion, retention, and transfer.  There are multiple texts on motor learning as well as multiple review papers available.  What types of instruction are you considering?  This may help narrow down the locations to start looking.

Erik

I know these articles:

Haskell, W. L. (1974). Physical activity after myocardial infarction. The American journal of cardiology, 33(6), 776-783.

Carson, P., Neophytou, M., Tucker, H., & Simpson, T. (1973). Exercise programme after myocardial infarction. British medical journal, 4(5886), 213.

Dear Lauren,

Maybe you would be interested in using the Girls' Disinclination for Physical Activity Scale (G-DAS). It was originally developed by Davison et al. and my group recently re-evaluated it.

I hope this helps!

References:

Davison, K. K., Schmalz, D. L., & Downs, D. S. (2010). Hop, skip... no! Explaining adolescent girls’ disinclination for physical activity. Annals of Behavioral Medicine,39, 290-302.

Pedisic, Z., Matouschek, S., Stuckler, M., Basaric, A., Titze, S. (2014). Reliability and validity of the German language version of Girls’ Disinclination for Physical Activity Scale. European Journal of Sport Science, 14, 711-719.

Hi Lauren,

as Tracey pointed you could use a visual scale to find out their current and ideal body size, and make a discrepancy score from this. However there are few available tools that have good psychometric properties to measure body image perception. Gardner is a good start.

Probably you will find difficulties in working with teenagers. The vast majority of available tools was validated to young adults (undergratuate students).

You should read:

Thers plenty on the measurement on illegal bowling actions, and retests etc.

Rene Ferdinads work is useful in that area.  As for empiricially supported protocols for correction, I've yet to find any - but now I will search also!

 Hi Reeta

Ahh the perennial question which we all struggle with. There are numerous constraints on physical activity and I have to agree with the comments above for much of this. We know that education only works to a small degree so what encourages physical activity and what discourages it? In brief there are three types of constraints (used here as both positive and negative – enhancing and discouraging)  Individual, Task oriented and environmental factors. Individual constraints could be physical (e.g. biomechanical or size), psychological (e.g. anxiety or embarrassment, enjoyment ...), spiritual, and so forth. Environmental could be social (e.g. culture, not having social support, gender expectations ..) and physical environment (e.g. living in the middle of Bangalore or being chased by dogs?? Or the presence of nature in your immediate surroundings) and task could be related to the type of physical activity (e.g. running vs walking or whether it is a specific session or just your journey in and out of work). I have done some research in this area so I hope that helps .. but feel free to quizz

Eric

Hi there, 

I personally write about this my PhD. I hope you gonna like it! But, in Poland, I have had to use another questionnaire, which I had to prepare first. It's working great, but I have a copy only in Polish language. 

thank you very much.I think i got the answer.

Actually, the stance phase in race walking is not "stance" like in normal walking. It's a propulsive phase, so as soon as the foot contacts the ground the gluteus and the biarticular flexors are mainly involved. The calves work mostly in the final phase.

Si, existen muchos cuestionarios que pueden ayudarlo a resolver su interrogante; desafortunadamente en estos momentos no dispongo de ninguno que pueda enviarle, pero usted puede consultar en la página web del Ministerio de Educación superior de Cuba que existen muchas tesis que abordan esa temática.

También usted mismo puede elaborar el cuestionario acorde a sus expectativas de investigación y diseñar la forma de evaluación de la misma y someter su propuesta a que sea valorada por el criterio de expertos o validación por especialistas; esto podría ayudar a resolver su problema de investigación.

This research is good .It is often like what I hear from some medics who say many take care of the health of others and overwork themselves and put their health in jeopardy.Apart from coaches who participate with their athletes, many physical education teachers and lecturers in Nigeria are due to poor enabling environment often are preachers and not doers of what they preach

I am unaware of studies using this precise test. However, you maybe interested to look into studies that have used the Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, which includes the subtest "Running speed and agility": the speed with which a child can run 13.7 metres, pick up an object and return to the start. Also the Gross Motor Function Measure includes similar tasks (Running: runs 2.74m, stops, and returns).

Notable studies using these measures are:

-Palisano RJ, Walter SD, Russell DJ, et al. Gross motor function of children with down syndrome: creation of motor growth curves. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82(4):494–500.

-Connolly BH, Morgan SB, Russell FF, Fulliton WL. A longitudinal study of children with Down syndrome who experienced early intervention programming. Phys Ther 1993;73(3):170–9.

Dear Hashem: First we have to be sure that students did learn the required physical education skills, and thereafter have the moral to be able to use their skills when needed in the real-life and authentic situations.

Francisco.

Estoy llevando un Fondecyt que analiza el SIMCE EFI, para poder crear una nueva propuesta.

propuesta es que el actual SIMCE O EUROFIT, no mide calidad de la Educación Física. Por lo tanto la nueva propuesta debe medir elementos cualitativos que propicien la mejora en la calidad de las clases. En esto influye en entorno social, lo que hace el colegio por mejorar la calidad de las clases, las actividades, la preparación de los docentes, la formación continua, etc.

Es muy probable que mi propuesta, elimine la condición física como elemento central y lo relegue a un porcentaje muy bajo de la importancia que tiene para la Calidad de la Educación Física.

Sigamos dialogando.

The term periodization specifically used for elite athletes who needs planning for long term say cricketer, soccer players etc. The children who don't have long term planning for participation may not require periodization. Rather encourage them to involve in routine playing to maintain physical health.

The flat foot/ collaps arches/ pronated foot has many reasons to it. To maintain a good arch properly functioning "Windlass Mechanism" is necessory with the help of cordinated contribution of hind food, mid foot and forefoot as a chain. Break down in any part of the chain may lead to collapsing the arch (longitudinal or transverse). The intrinsic muscles, extrinsic muscles and plantar fascia combinely contribute to stabilize the arches.

Gastrocnemius muscle play an important role in controlling the hind portion of the arch. The change in length and tension of Gastrocnemius muscle may directly influence the angle of calcanium inclination which will inturn change in medial longitudinal arch. Here the question is you want to improve the collaps arch or improve pain due to collaps arch? Streatching of the Gastrocnemius may not improve the collaps arch but it may relieve posterior heel pain. If the aim is to improve the arch then strengthening of Windless Mechanism is must.

As Rachana suggested, knowing the type of flat may helps the Physical Therapist to decide the choice of treatment or for referral service...

Regards

I suggest reviewing some articles on the subject:

Chaddock L, Pontifex MB, Hillman CH, Kramer AF (2011) A review of the relation of aerobic fitness and physical activity to brain structure and function in children. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 17: 975- 985.

Chang YK, Labban JD, Gapin JI, Etnier JL (2012) The effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance: a meta-analysis. Brain Res 1453: 87-101.

Churchill JD, Galvez R, Colcombe S, Swain RA, Kramer AF, et al. (2002) Exercise, experience and the aging brain. Neurobiol Aging 23: 941-955.

Cui Z, Hardy LL, Dibley MJ, Bauman A (2011) Temporal trends and recent correlates in sedentary behaviours in Chinese children. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 8: 93.

Ekeland E, Heian F, Hagen KB (2005) Can exercise improve self esteem in children and young people? A systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Br J Sports Med 39: 792-798.

Erickson KI, Voss MW, Prakash RS, Basak C, Szabo A, et al. (2011) Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108: 3017-3022.

Fedewa AL, Ahn S (2011) The effects of physical activity and physical fitness on children's achievement and cognitive outcomes: a meta-analysis. RQES 82: 521-535.

Gomez-Pinilla F, Vaynman S, Ying Z (2008) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor functions as a metabotrophin to mediate the effects of exercise on cognition. Eur J Neurosci 28: 2278-2287.

Hillman CH, Buck SM, Themanson JR, Pontifex MB, Castelli DM (2009) Aerobic fitness and cognitive development: Event-related brain potential and task performance indices of executive control in preadolescent children. Dev Psychol 45: 114-129.

Hillman CH, Erickson KI, Kramer AF (2008) Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci 9: 58-65.

Hillman CH, Kamijo K, Scudder M (2011) A review of chronic and acute physical activity participation on neuroelectric measures of brain health and cognition during childhood. Prev Med 52: S21-28.

Taking a look at the Cochrane Review website would be a good start: http://www.cochrane.org/cochrane-reviews and http://www.cochrane-net.org/openlearning/html/mod12-2.htm

Also, this *might* be useful, as it sounds like you are looking outside the standard medical trial format: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/book/10.1002/9780470754887

and also this: https://www.dur.ac.uk/education/meta-ed/resources/websites/

Hi Mark and thanks for your response. I suppose my question was posed more in terms of being a "devil's advocate" or a common response posed by those in the field, particularly as children move into Prep and more formal schooling. So, I would in principle definitely agree with your point about the curriculum not necessarily being over-crowded with the possibility and potential for great integration and authentic opportunities for providing meaningful active play and PA experiences for children. Being a lecturer in education and helping pre-service teachers to unpack and understand the draft HPE Australian curriculum as well as the PA/health/wellbeing/social aspects of the Early years learning framework, the key point that helps with ensuring that we are proactive in providing PA experiences for children is to have a strong rationale for its place and importance. Another significant point that I reinforce is the need to contextualise the experiences that we offer to children so that these are meaningful and relevant to children and other key stakeholders in the present and for their future trajectory.

Finally, your point about misunderstandings raises another significant point where I support your position, in that in order to support educators in providing regular meaningful PA and active play opportunities for children we need to account for and support teachers through a social ecological framework where we appreciate the various environments that have influenced their position both from the micro and macro system and across time. Again, thanks for your thoughts Mark. Cheers, Alice

I guess it depends upon what you mean by core stability. Spinal stability is provided by the spinal ligaments unless there has been some disk damage. Absent that, If you mean those deep core muscles are balanced, coordinated, and actually used in normal tasks I would agree that it is important to overall well-being and injury prevention.

I believe that core fitness and balance is more important than the specific strength of the individual core muscles. Most peoples core muscles are adequately strong for everyday activities since they do one sit-up every day when getting out of bed. What those muscles lack is an aerobic capability and "functional fitness". We have found that exercise with independent bicycle cranks greatly improve core fitness because they train the hip flexor muscles (the iliopsoas) to be the aerobic equivalent to the anti-gravity muscles in a functionally coordinate fashion (similar to running). When people train with them many complaints they used to have (e.g., back pain while riding their bike) seem to magically go away. In the interest of full disclosure I make and sell such a product but I am also trained as a physician which helps explain why I might understand some of this beyond trying to "sell" my product). My product gets lots of anecdotal positive stories coming from users and I believe what we see has a strong physiological basis. Other methods probably have similar stories. As far as I know nothing in this area has withstood scientific scrutiny.

Anyhow, one of the real issues here is one of how to evaluate this stuff, correlate findings with symptoms, and then finding effective treatment. I relate my anecdotal experience and thoughts. Good luck.

you are right

A lot more than is standard procedure in many countries.

Children love to research and play, making this possible by challenging the children to move more is something that can be/ and often has been intergrated into school life.

We all know the benefits.....

see 1.research positive outcome linking physical activity, attention and academic achievement. in 9 year olds.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090331183800.htm

2. health related fitness in middle school students

Michigan State University (2012, December 6). Fit kids finish first in the classroom. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 19, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2012/12/121206131830.htm

3. Sport and physical activity enhance children’s learning

Dr Karen Martin, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia

I was lucky to grow up in Australia, we had more than enough opportunity to move in and around our high school. Many teachers stayed on to train us after school hours. Wonderful mix of movement and academic skill training.