Integrating Academics and Physical Education: Creating New Knowledge Connections

Background/Purpose: Recent trends have begun to create integrated schools and foster interdisciplinary learning throughout the curriculum. By exposing students to material in a variety of forums information can be brought alive for students and interest can be sparked. Current research has highlighted how creating connections of material within other content has increased students understanding and retention of knowledge. Physical education and physical activity classes are an ideal forum for integrating information because of the variety of outlets for practice and broad topics that can be covered. With creativity and flexibility basic knowledge in a wide variety of content areas can be reinforced through physical activity tasks allowing students to truly engage with content.

The purpose of this study was to provide an opportunity for participants to engage with academic content in an afterschool physical activity program therefore, reinforcing basic skills such as writing, spelling, math, social studies, and science in an active environment. Student learning was measured pre and post activity to assess whether learning had occurred and could be transferred in to the classroom context.

Method: Prior to data collection extensive planning was spent choosing content and creating pre and post assessments that were grade appropriate and would align with activities that could be taught in class. Twenty-eight students in grades 3-4 were given a pre test of knowledge and then participated in 4 consecutive days of activities that reinforced specific content. A post test was then administered measuring content knowledge. Student scores from the pre and post tests were compared along with open-ended questions and interviews regarding content knowledge. Interviews were also conducted asking specific questions related to enjoyment of the activities and alignment with content taught in the classroom context.

Analysis/Results: Initial analyses, from pre and post test scores, showed an increase in knowledge scores for 95% of participants in all of the units. From the interview data overall concepts in the various content areas were analyzed and examined for discrepancies in knowledge and understanding. Themes relating to the appropriateness of content and enjoyment of the tasks revealed that students did indeed enjoy learning content previously thought of as "boring" and "hard to understand" in an activity setting.

Conclusions: The results from this study provides more support for inlcuding interdisciplinary activities in our PE classes. Creating multiple opportunities for students to interact with content can yield greater retention of knowledge.