Classroom Movement Breaks Reduce Sedentary Behavior and Increase Concentration, Alertness and Enjoyment during University Classes: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Design
2.2. Participants
2.3. Intervention
- Squats
- Step Lunges
- Wall push-ups
- High knee running on the spot
- Star jumps
- Sit-to-stand
- Calf-raises
- Brisk walking
- Hopping or jumping Games on the website [24]
2.4. Outcomes
2.5. Data Collection
2.6. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Feasibility
3.1.1. Theme 1. Movement Breaks Had Multiple Benefits
“I found that you know their level of engagement and their focus once they got back was higher and that certainly, they were more animated and more vocal and I think there was just generally an increased engagement afterward.”(Tutor 1)
“I liked the mornings, I needed it then because it was the morning. Then the afternoon ones I liked it because I’d been in class for four hours [other students agreeing]”(Student 11)
3.1.2. Theme 2. Timing Is Important to Enhance Effect and Reduce Disruption
“In some instances, we were on a bit of a roll with the content. So then to have to stop that and do something else was counterproductive cause it took a while to get back into it. Whereas other times they timed it really well, so it was like between changeovers in topics.”(Student 10)
“When the timing was good it did help to reengage the students when they were starting to get distracted and not actually making progress with the task that they were meant to be doing in class”(Tutor 5)
“I think I was a bit distracted from the content as well because I was so focused on time and trying to fit it in, in a way that wasn’t going to be disruptive”(Tutor 5)
3.1.3. Theme 3. Some Movement Breaks Were Perceived to Be Better Than Others
“The ones outside of class I think [other students agreeing] were really helpful. Just staying in class and doing movement breaks, like while it was good, I felt I was like more motivated and able to hold my attention for the rest of the class if I had gone outside and came back in.”(Student 3)
3.1.4. Theme 4. Less Frequent Movement Breaks Would Be Better
“I found that there were too many of them. So, I thought fitting three of them in two hours was just too many. So, I felt like two or even one would have been really helpful and productive”(Tutor 6)
“Probably didn’t need as many. Um, like one an hour I probably would have been happy with”(Student 10)
3.2. Limited Efficacy
3.2.1. Alertness
“It actually genuinely does [laughter/agreement] make you more productive. You feel more alert!”(Student 5)
“I think the thing for [Class A] for me, is that when I wasn’t concentrating or alert, it’s harder to get through it. Like [Class B], you can just like, sit down and you type it down.”(Student 3)
3.2.2. Concentration
“I get distracted very easily. I find it very hard to concentrate on any one thing for a long period of time so for me it was yeah, I think that it helped sort of wake me up and refocus me”(Student 11)
3.2.3. Enjoyment
“Definitely made the classes more fun.”(Student 10)
3.2.4. Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity
“Like when I’m sitting and studying, like even just in class for like a couple of hours my body gets really sore.”(Student 11)
“We would stay back pretty much for the rest of the day doing work. And we’d take our own movement breaks because we knew that it was helpful in class”(Student 6)
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Themes | Questions and Prompts |
---|---|
Introduction | Introduce the study
|
General perceptions (introductory questions) | Question: Can you tell me what it was like to have movement breaks during your classes? Prompts:
|
Mental alertness | Question: What impact (if any) do you feel movement breaks had on your mental alertness or concentration? Prompts:
|
Enjoyability | Question: What impact (if any) do you feel movement breaks had on your enjoyment of classes? Prompts:
|
Sedentary behaviour | Question: What impact do you think movement breaks could have on your overall sedentary behaviour? Prompts:
|
Relevance | Questions: How were the movement breaks relevant or not relevant to you? How were the movement breaks relevant or not relevant to the subjects? |
Themes | Questions and Prompts |
---|---|
Introduction | Introduce the study
|
General perceptions (introductory questions) | Question: Can you tell me what it was like to have movement breaks during the classes you taught? Prompts:
|
Challenges | Question: What were some of the challenges in implementing movement breaks? |
Mental alertness and enjoyment | Question: What impact (if any) do you feel movement breaks had on your classes mental alertness and enjoyment? Prompts:
|
Relevance | Question: How were the movement breaks relevant or not relevant to your classes? Prompts:
|
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Participant Characteristics | All Student Participants | Focus Group—Students | Focus Group—Tutors | Accelerometer Wearers |
---|---|---|---|---|
n = | 85 | 14 | 6 | 44 |
Gender | ||||
Male | 26 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
Female | 58 | 12 | 3 | 30 |
Non-binary/Gender fluid/ Queer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Enrolment | ||||
Bachelor/Master degree | 66 | 10 | NA | 34 |
Graduate Entry Masters | 19 | 4 | NA | 10 |
Domestic student | 77 | 14 | NA | 39 |
International student | 8 | 0 | NA | 5 |
Location | ||||
Metropolitan campus | 62 | 12 | 4 | 44 |
Regional campus | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Class | Movement Break, Mean (SD) | No Movement Break, Mean (SD) | Difference, Mean, 95% CI | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alertness (n = 81) | ||||
CLASS A | 7.0 (1.5) | 5.5 (1.7) | 1.5 (1.1 to 1.9) | <0.001 |
CLASS B | 6.6 (1.5) | 5.2 (1.8) | 1.4 (1.0 to 1.8) | <0.001 |
Concentration (n = 81) | ||||
CLASS A | 6.8 (1.6) | 5.4 (1.8) | 1.4 (1.0 to 1.9) | <0.001 |
CLASS B | 6.7 (1.6) | 5.0 (1.8) | 1.6 (1.2 to 2.1) | <0.001 |
Enjoyment (n = 81) | ||||
CLASS A | 7.3 (1.6) | 5.6 (1.8) | 1.7 (1.3 to 2.2) | <0.001 |
CLASS B | 7.0 (2.0) | 5.5 (1.7) | 1.6 (1.1 to 2.0) | <0.001 |
Sedentary behaviour and physical activity (n = 43) | ||||
Seated time (minutes) | 96 (10) | 109 (10) | −13 (−17 to −10) | <0.001 |
Steps taken | 992 (477) | 157 (177) | 834 (675 to 994) | <0.001 |
Sit-to-stand transitions | 6 (2) | 3 (3) | 2 (1–3) | <0.001 |
Standing time (minutes) | 11 (6) | 8 (9) | 3 (0 to 6) | 0.024 |
Walking time (minutes) | 12 (6) | 2 (2) | 10 (8 to 12) | <0.001 |
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Peiris, C.L.; O’Donoghue, G.; Rippon, L.; Meyers, D.; Hahne, A.; De Noronha, M.; Lynch, J.; Hanson, L.C. Classroom Movement Breaks Reduce Sedentary Behavior and Increase Concentration, Alertness and Enjoyment during University Classes: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 5589. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115589
Peiris CL, O’Donoghue G, Rippon L, Meyers D, Hahne A, De Noronha M, Lynch J, Hanson LC. Classroom Movement Breaks Reduce Sedentary Behavior and Increase Concentration, Alertness and Enjoyment during University Classes: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(11):5589. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115589
Chicago/Turabian StylePeiris, Casey L., Gráinne O’Donoghue, Lewis Rippon, Dominic Meyers, Andrew Hahne, Marcos De Noronha, Julia Lynch, and Lisa C. Hanson. 2021. "Classroom Movement Breaks Reduce Sedentary Behavior and Increase Concentration, Alertness and Enjoyment during University Classes: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 11: 5589. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115589