Knowledge in Action: Effective Fitness Segments That Teach Elementary Knowledge

Background/Purpose: Improving healthy behavior knowledge (HBK) is vital to increasing physical activity and health behaviors in school children.  However, school children of all ages do not process the basic amounts of HBK (Keating et. al., 2010).  We investigated the impact of an innovative approach called Knowledge in Action (KIA) on HBK in the fifth grade students.  Cognitive mediation theory was used as the grounding framework for the creation of the KIA fitness segments, which were designed for full student engagement and to provide a self-enhancing and constructive learning environment. 

Method: Subjects in this study included ten volunteer physical education teachers and 633 students (n = 331 intervention; n = 302 control) from one school district.  Teachers and their students were randomly assigned to either intervention or control group within a pre-posttest design.  Intervention teachers participated in professional development, received all teaching materials, and given YouTube video links that modeled the teaching of the KIA fitness segments.  Student knowledge was assessed using PE Metrics Standard 3 cognitive test to determine changes and between-group differences in HBK.  Teacher fidelity was measured through observations with a corresponding checklist over the duration of the seven-lesson intervention.  Lastly, student physical activity (PA) levels during fitness lesson segments (expressed in step counts or moderate-vigorous physical activity [MVPA] time) were also assessed using accelerometers. 

Analysis/Results: Data analysis included descriptive statistics as well as General Linear Modeling (GLM) at the student level (gender) and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) at the school level (treatment, school).  The two-level multilevel models were used to test mean differences for changes in HBK between intervention and control groups after adjustment for gender and gender*treatment interaction. After adjustment for covariates, HLM documented that students in the intervention had a 3.4 (20%) greater improvement in HBK scores than did students in the control (p<0.001).  Students’ activity levels were found to be similar in both groups.  There was no statistical difference between intervention and control groups in MVPA time (p = 0.33).  Teacher fidelity (77.9%) to the fitness segments across the intervention teachers was found to be adequate. 

Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, use of the KIA fitness segments is a successful strategy for teachers to teach HBK during physical education classes without having to sacrifice PA participation.  This also affirmed the importance of creating small group student-centered activities that promotes individual development and increase student learning.