The Research

Bits and pieces of the research responsible for the physical education program at the elementary school.  I know, not the most exciting but it is important.  Need to know some facts before you can support it, after all!

Abstract

 

The purpose of this study was to help find the best possible curriculum for physical education in the United States.  This research helped by determining whether or not having classroom lessons on health and physical activity in addition to physical activity in class had any additional benefits in the long-term, and into adulthood.  The experiment was done in a span of 20 years, starting with 200 3^rd graders that were split into two separate groups.  Each group was given a five-year physical education program, one that only included physical activity while the other included health lessons in addition to physical activity.  Fifteen years after the program, participants were given a survey and a health test.  We hypothesized that the group that participated in the program with the health lessons would become healthier adults.  The hypothesis was supported, as the participants who did participate in health lessons were much healthier on average than the group who did not.

Introduction

 

Health has been a growing issue in the United States.  Currently, more than one-third of US adults are obese.  With the junk food industry growing and technology making it easier for people to live a more sedentary lifestyle, it is easy to understand why more Americans are suffering obesity, diabetes, and heart disease than in the past fifty years (Flegal, 2012).  There are underlying problems that contribute to the nation’s health include the lack of knowledge of physical health and poor diet choices.  For decades, the United States education curriculum has taught students the importance of physical education, but the current system might not be the most effective way of teaching students about their long-term health.  Many studies agree that physical activity during childhood can have beneficial effects, the majority of those effects do not last until adulthood.  Physical health does not only include exercise, because diet, sleep, and other habits also have a big role in overall health.  Currently, physical education in elementary schools includes only physical activity.  This topic is relevant in the science community as well as the nation as a whole because the current school system in the US includes more than 4 million students.  This research explores the difference between two groups of students, starting from third grade, who experience different physical education curriculums.  The hypothesis is that the students who experience a classroom lesson in addition to physical activity during P.E classes will overall have better health choices in adulthood.  If test subjects from both groups report the same level of physical activity, and/or have the same eating habits, the hypothesis will be rejected.  If the second group reports better overall health choices, the hypothesis will be supported.

Procedure

Both groups were put into a physical education program that lasted five years, or until the end of their 8^th grade school year.  Each would have physical education class for one hour two times a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Group A were put through a more traditional physical education curriculum that only included physical activities such as sports and running.  Group B were given a twenty-minute health lesson before physical activity every class.  These lessons became more detailed every year, starting with lessons about the different food groups in 3^rd grade and slowly progressing to lessons that include the benefit of sleep patterns and different nutrients the body needs in 8^th grade.  After the fifth year of the program, we kept track of every student who participated and had them agree to be contacted in fifteen years regarding the study.  After fifteen years, all of the participants were contacted and given a survey and a fitness test.  The survey questions asked:

1.     How many times a week do you exercise?

2.     On average, how many hours do you sleep each night?

3.     On a scale of 1 to 10, how healthily do you think you eat?

The fitness test required the participants to run one mile and do a series of 10 lifting exercises.  The survey answers were collected, and the average number for each answer was calculated.  The test was timed and each group’s average time was calculated.