The post-Covid era of education has seen a rise in silent disengagement and a decline in student wellbeing, academic and health outcomes (Ross 2019). In response, there’s a growing need to rethink how learning is delivered. One proven solution is to integrate more physical activity into the school day.

So why is physical activity important, and how can we incorporate it into Australian classrooms?

Physical activity for focus and wellbeing

In Australia, 83% of adolescents and 39% of children do not meet physical activity recommendations (AIHW 2024). And in the average Australian school, students are sedentary for over 75% of the school day (Arundell et al. 2019).

Yet research shows that physical activity boosts blood flow and oxygen to the brain, triggering the release of endorphins. It has also been shown to enhance feelings of connection and strengthen relationships (Robinson 2021), which enhances wellbeing.

As a result, teachers and the education system as a whole need to find opportunities for students to engage with physical activity as part of their learning and classroom experience.

Physical activity as a tool for learning

The benefits of physical activity extend to academic outcomes. These include improvements in cognitive skills, including executive functioning, memory and comprehension; attitudes towards learning, including motivation, self-concept, satisfaction and enjoyment; and, importantly, engagement in learning and academic achievement, including standardised test scores (Bedard et al. 2019).

While short active breaks can be used to support learning, with 85% of teachers reporting improvements in student concentration afterwards (Koorts et al. 2022), physical activity can also be directly incorporated into lessons. Examples include students using movement to act out the particles of each state of matter in science, instead of engaging with worksheets while seated. Or creating and flying paper aeroplanes in maths to calculate a range of data.

Using movement within classrooms can improve engagement, create higher levels of enjoyment and increase feelings of connection, self-esteem and self-worth (Bedard et al. 2019). It improves student motivation and perceived competence (Robinson 2021), leading to better learning outcomes.

Physical activity to improve student engagement

Student learning outcomes can also be improved with stronger engagement, and the integration of physical activity through experiential or embodied learning can achieve this

Recent research showed that TransformUs’s approach to incorporating physical activity in the classroom improved ‘on-task time’, with 78% of teachers reporting that their students experienced greater concentration after an active lesson (Koorts et al. 2022). This, in turn, indicates improved engagement, and helps to create a more positive learning environment.

 

 

Explore what physical activity could look like in your classroom. Consider ways to integrate physical activity into your students’ learning experience today to increase wellbeing, academic outcomes and student engagement.

TransformUs have a range of helpful resources free for you to access. Simply register at transformus.com.au/register

References