Collin A. Webster

Integrating movement in academic classrooms: understanding, applying and advancing the knowledge base

In the context of comprehensive and coordinated approaches to school health, academic classrooms have gained attention as a promising setting for increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time among children. The aims of this paper are to review the rationale and knowledge base related to movement integration in academic classrooms, consider the practical applications of current knowledge to interventions and teacher education, and suggest directions for future research. Specifically, this paper (i) situates movement integration amid policy and research related to childrens health and the school as a health‐promoting environment; (ii) highlights the benefits of movement integration; (iii) summarizes movement integration programs and interventions; (iv) examines factors associated with classroom teachers’ movement integration; (v) offers strategies for translating research to practice and (vi) forwards recommendations for future inquiry related to the effectiveness and sustainability of efforts to integrate movement into classroom routines. This paper provides a comprehensive resource for developing state‐of‐the‐art initiatives to maximize childrens movement in academic classrooms as a key strategy for important goals in both education and public health.

Evaluation of policies to promote physical activity in afterschool programs: Are we meeting current benchmarks?

BACKGROUND Policies now recommend afterschool programs (ASP, 3-6 pm) provide children a minimum amount of physical activity daily. We examined the extent to which children attending ASPs meet existing national and state-level policies that specify expected levels of physical activity (PA). METHODS Accelerometer-derived physical activity (light and moderate-to-vigorous, MVPA) of 253 children (5-13 years) was compared to policies that recommend varying amounts of PA children should achieve during an ASP. RESULTS The proportion of children achieving a policy ranged from 0.0% (California 60 min MVPA and North Carolina 20% of daily program time devoted to MVPA), 1.2% (California 30 min MVPA), to 48.2% (National Afterschool Association 30 min light plus MVPA). Random effects logistic models indicated boys (odds ratio [OR] range 2.0 to 6.27) and children from a minority background (Black/Hispanic, OR range 1.87 to 3.98) were more likely to achieve a recommended level of physical activity, in comparison to girls and White children. Neither age nor BMI were related to achieving a policy. CONCLUSIONS The PA of children attending ASP falls below policy recommended levels; however, these policies were developed in absence of data on expected PA levels during ASPs. Thus, concerted effort towards building a stronger ASP evidence-base for policy refinement is required.

System for Observing Staff Promotion of Activity and Nutrition (SOSPAN)

BACKGROUND Frontline-staff are critical to achieving policies related to child physical activity and nutrition (PAaN) in out-of-school-time programs (OSTP). Recent policies call upon staff to demonstrate behaviors related to PAaN. Currently, no instrument exists to measure these behaviors. This study fills the gap between policy mandates and staff behaviors by describing the development of the System for Observing Staff Promotion of Activity and Nutrition (SOSPAN) in OSTP. METHODS SOSPAN items were aligned with existing OSTP policies. Reliability and validity data of SOSPAN were collected across 8 OSTP: 4 summer day camps and 4 afterschool programs. Validity of SOSPAN staff behaviors/management of PA was established using the percent of children active measured concurrently via direct observation. RESULTS A total of 6437 scans were performed. Interrater percent agreement ranged from 74%-99% across PAaN behaviors. Childrens activity was associated with staff facilitative behaviors/management, such as playing with the children and providing 2 or more activities for children to choose, while prohibitive behaviors/management, such as waiting in line were related to increased sedentary behavior. Staff nutrition behaviors were observed in less than 0.6% of scans. CONCLUSION SOSPAN is a reliable and valid tool to assess staff behaviors/management of PAaN in OSTPs.

How the best get better: an analysis of the self-monitoring strategies used by expert golf instructors

The purpose of this study was to analyse the self-monitoring strategies that 31 expert golf instructors used to improve their teaching. Specifically, criteria characteristic of both instructional strengths and weaknesses were identified, as were the strategies these teachers used to continue to develop their strengths and improve their areas of weakness. Data were collected at Golf Magazines Top 100 Teacher Summit held at Pinehurst, NC. Teachers were asked to complete a written survey, which asked them to list aspects of their teaching they considered strengths and aspects they considered weaknesses. Subsequently, the teachers were requested to identify strategies they used to maintain their strengths and improve their weaknesses. Data were analysed by identifying themes in the teachers’ responses. Results of the analysis indicated that the teachers identified both goals and actions in their self-monitoring strategies. Self-monitoring goals included improving communication, adjustments to personal lifestyle, examining teaching perspectives and increasing learning. Self-monitoring actions incorporated seeking help from others, reading, using technology, developing business strategies and adapting teaching practices.

Rethinking Recommendations for Implementing Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: A Partnership Model

Recommended approaches to promoting children’s physical activity through schools call for physical education teachers to serve as champions for, and leaders of, Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAPs). Little evidence, however, exists to suggest that physical education teachers are ideally prepared or supported to assume CSPAP leadership roles. The purpose of this article is to consider expectations that must be met for physical education teachers to serve as central protagonists in CSPAP implementation efforts, and to propose a conceptual model aimed at increasing both effectiveness and sustainability of CSPAPs through key external-internal partnerships. Specifically, community-based participatory research, communities of practice, and service-learning are presented as possible strategies to expand the support system for growing and sustaining CSPAPs. In sum, this article offers some reasons for rethinking current recommendations for CSPAP implementation.

Supporting Student Autonomy in Physical Education

JOPERD • Volume 82 No. 5 • May/June 2011 P hysical education can be a personally rewarding experience for children and adolescents. It also has the potential to help students acquire the skills, knowledge, and values to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle by regularly participating in physical activity. However, not all students enjoy physical education, and motivation to learn in class tends to wane as children reach adolescence (Mowling, Brock, Eiler, & Rudisill, 2004). Students who lack motivation or whose motives are maladapted to desired program outcomes are more likely to feel unsatisfied with their learning experiences, be disengaged in class, and be truant from class (Ntoumanis, Pensgaard, Martin, & Pipe, 2004). For these students, physical education falls short of meeting its potential. The problem of unmotivated students in physical education is not new, and substantial research has been done to try to find a solution. Recently, this research has drawn on self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985) to tease out variables related to motivation. Studies within this theoretical frame have clearly demonstrated that student motivation is influenced by the extent to which autonomous learning is supported in class (Ntoumanis, 2001, 2005; Vallerand & Losier, 1999). Autonomy support is a powerful mechanism in student motivation because it facilitates self-determination, which, as will be discussed, has more staying power than other behavioral regulators. Self-determined students are motivated to learn because they possess an internalized desire to do so, not because they feel pressure from external sources, such as guilt, threats, tangible rewards, or other extrinsic incentives. External motivators can be effective in the short term as long as they are present, but they lose their effect once removed or when the goal is long-term maintenance of a behavior. Given the overarching goal of physical education to foster lifelong participation in physical activity, it is essential for teachers to understand self-determined motivation and to explore pedagogical strategies for enhancing autonomous learning.

A comprehensive professional development training's effect on afterschool program staff behaviors to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

OBJECTIVE Evaluate a comprehensive intervention designed to support staff and program leaders in the implementation of the YMCA of USA healthy eating and physical activity (HEPA) standards for their afterschool programs (3-6 pm). DESIGN Pre- (fall 2011) and postassessment (spring 2012) no-control group. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Four large-scale YMCA afterschool programs serving approximately 500 children. INTERVENTION Professional development training founded on the 5Ms (ie, Mission, Model, Manage, Monitor, and Maximize) and LET US Play principles (ie, Lines, Elimination, Team size, Uninvolved staff/kids, and Space, equipment, and rules), on-site booster training sessions, workshops, and ongoing technical support for staff and program leaders from January to May 2012. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES System for Observing Staff Promotion of Activity and Nutrition. ANALYSIS Multilevel mixed-effects linear (ie, staff behaviors expressed as a percentage of the number of scans observed) and logistic regression. RESULTS A total of 5328 System for Observing Staff Promotion of Activity and Nutrition scans were completed over the 2 measurement periods. Of the 20 staff behaviors identified in HEPA standards and measured in this study, 17 increased or decreased in the appropriate direction. For example, the proportion staff engaged in physical activity with children increased from 26.6% to 37% and the proportion of staff eating unhealthy foods decreased from 42.1% to 4.5%. CONCLUSIONS Comprehensive professional development training, founded on the 5Ms and LET US Play principles, and ongoing technical assistance can have a sizable impact on key staff behaviors identified by HEPA standards for afterschool programs.

From Policy to Practice: Addressing Snack Quality, Consumption, and Price in After-School Programs

OBJECTIVE To evaluate a community partnership between after-school programs (ASPs) and grocery stores to provide discounted pricing on snacks to meet the National Afterschool Association Healthy Eating Standards that call for serving a fruit or vegetable (FV) daily while eliminating sugar-based foods and beverages. METHODS A single-group, pretest with multiple posttest design (spring, 2011-2013) in 4 large-scale ASPs serving 500 children/d was used, along with direct observation of snacks served, consumed, and cost. RESULTS At baseline, FV, sugar-sweetened beverages, and desserts were served 0.1 ± 0.5, 1.7 ± 2.0, and 2.0 ± 1.4 d/wk. By spring, 2013, FV increased to 5.0 ± 0.0 d/wk, whereas sugar-sweetened beverages and desserts were eliminated. A total of 84% of children consumed the fruit; 59% consumed the vegetables. Cost associated with purchasing snacks resulted in a

Increasing Student Motivation through Teacher Communication: Six Essential Skills Every Physical Educator Should Master.

2,000-

A Systematic Review of Public Health-Aligned Recommendations for Preparing Physical Education Teacher Candidates

3,000 savings over a standard 180-day school year. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This partnership can serve as a model for successfully meeting nutrition policies established for ASP snacks.