Background/Purpose: Before school exercise programs (BSEPs) give students time for breakfast and add time to their daily physical activity. However, the effects of BSEP on physical fitness and academic achievement in the classroom remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of BSEP on cardiorespiratory fitness and academic…

Background: The effectiveness of school-based physical activity interventions for improving cardiopulmonary fitness (CPF) of overweight and obese children is not well established. In this study, we evaluated whether overweight and obese children had similar changes in body mass index (BMI) and CPF as normal weight children after participating in a…

In the process of educating physically literate individuals, physical educators are tasked with assessing health-related fitness of their students. It is essential to identify or develop appropriate field tests of muscular power for use in physical education settings. This study assessed jumping power in a sample of fourth, sixth, and eighth…

This study used self-determination theory to provide a better understanding of learner motivation in a physical education program. Students participated in a sports unit with choice in activities, equipment, partners, and competition as opposed to a traditional teacher-led activity unit. The objective was to determine differences in motivation and…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influences of a structured after-school program on student physical activity for third- through fifth-grade students at five schools in southern Colorado. The study utilized a pretest-posttest intervention design in which six elementary schools in a low socioeconomic status school district in southern…

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between fundamental movement skills (FMS) and markers of health among a cohort of Irish primary school children. Methods: Participants (N = 296, mean age: 7.99 ± 2.02 years) were senior infant (n = 149, mean age: 6.02 ± 0.39 years) and 4th class (n = 147, mean age: 9.97 ± 0.40 years)…

Background: Project Fit America (PFA) curriculum was initiated in 1990 with a mission to provide opportunities for all American children to be fit with unique lessons and outdoor fitness equipment. Purpose: In this study, the physical education (PE) fitness testing scores of elementary school students were examined to determine the effect of PFA…

This study analyzed the effect of Physical Best (PB) Curriculum on activity levels of children in physical education class. Activity levels of elementary school students (N=92, males = 50, females = 42) were recorded throughout six normally scheduled physical education class periods. Students participated in both traditional and PB curriculums and…

The Project Fit America (PFA) curriculum was initiated in 1990 with a mission to create and provide quality opportunities for American school children to be active, healthy, and fit. This study assessed the effect of the PFA curriculum and outdoor fitness equipment on fitness testing scores of elementary school students. Participants were 4th- and…

A number of states have taken steps toward promoting student wellness, with many of their state boards of education in the middle of the action. This article contains some examples of states leading on student wellness by addressing physical fitness, social and emotional learning (SEL), and mental health supports. The Every Student Succeeds Act…

This study examined the perceptions of upper elementary school students toward physical education (PE). High and moderate/low attitude students (N = 16) participated. Two themes emerged: (a) it is important to have fun in PE (students are excited to go to PE, PE is their favorite class, the teacher influences perceptions of fun) and (b) class…

Purpose: This study examined the prevalence of different weight status and the relationships between weight status and physical fitness among Chinese children and youth. Methods: Participants were 107,206 Grade 4 children and 70,213 Grade 8 youth from the China National Assessment of Educational Quality -- Physical Education & Health in 2015…

Background and Objective: Increased emphasis on academic outcomes has reduced the amount of time spent in physical education and other school physical activity opportunities in many schools in the USA. However, physical fitness is a positive predictor of academic performance on standardised tests, and students who perform better on fitness…

Purpose: Based on the self-determination theory, this study explored the predictive strengths and relative importance of basic psychological needs (BPNs; i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) in physical education in physical, cognitive, and psychological outcomes among Hispanic boys and girls. Methods: Fourth- and fifth-grade Hispanic…

This study examined the strength and direction of the relationship between the STAAR exam's reading and mathematics portions and the FitnessGRAM's cardiovascular portion for fourth grade students located in Region 6 from the state of Texas. Using existing, archival data consisting of 4,215 students from 36 elementary schools, a non-experimental…