THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN EXERCISE TYPE AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE WITHIN SCHOOL-BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAMS

The latest evidence findings from exercise and cognition research support the benefits of physical exercise on children’s and youths’ cognition, proving that physical activity, fitness and sport are positively correlated with the cognitive parameters of students’ classroom behavior and academic performance. The majority of studies and intervention programs recognize cognition as a moderator between exercise and academic achievement, which involves a number of underlying mental processes such as executive functions, attention or memory. Amongst these, executive functions are deemed as prerequisites of self-control, behavioral adaptability and academic achievement and thus remain at the focus of educational research.

Until nowadays, the majority of exercise-cognition studies have been based mainly on a quantitative-medical model, since researchers have examined their relationship under a dose-response perspective and with the purpose of prescribing physical exercise and activity guidelines. However, recent research brought into light the significance of the “contextual-interference effect hypothesis” on motor skill practice, or otherwise the importance of testing the influence of the training environment on motor skill learning. As a result, researchers begun to examine the qualitative characteristics of exercise and particular the different levels of coordinative and cognitive task complexity, along with their impact on students’ cognition and academic achievement.

Given this growing interest in the relationship between exercise type or mode and students’ cognitive skills, attitudes and achievement, the aim of the present paper is to synthesize and present the findings of the scientific literature that has examined this relationship in qualitative terms and within school-based physical activity programs.

By using both physical activity and academic performance as related search terms, a review of research articles and reports was conducted, including studies from a range of school-based physical activity contexts such as physical education recess and extracurricular physical activity.

The results from the review confirm that the combination of mentally challenging and socially engaging gross-motor and cognitive tasks within physical activity programs, promote students’ concentration, attention and classroom behavior, while fostering their ability to use and transfer skills and knowledge.

Given the increase in children’s and youth’s health-risk behaviors (violence, substance use, sedentary lifestyle), the present review findings could be used by educators or policy makers as guidelines for the development of quality physical activity programs that keep students physically, cognitively and affectively on the learning curve.