Date of Award
12-2017
Document Type
Action Research Project
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education, Montessori
First Advisor
Alisha Brandon
Department/School
Montessori Elementary Education, Elementary Education, Education
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to test if aerobic exercise done before academic work would improve student learning readiness which includes increased alertness, longer periods of concentration and a resilience in doing work. The six-week study incorporated twenty-minutes of aerobic exercise every morning and involved 26 students between the ages of 9 and 12 years in a Montessori classroom. Data collection included pre and post surveys on student energy levels, exercise logs filled out by each student daily, on-task observation sheets and levels of attention observation sheets done by myself daily for the first thirty-minutes to evaluate students’ depth of focus on their first works. Results from the post survey showed that most students’ felt that the exercise increased their energy levels and improved their ability to do academic work. The majority of students recorded an increase in energy after exercise on their daily exercise logs. The data showed a positive correlation between aerobic exercise and student learning readiness in children ages 9 to 12. Suggestions for future research include testing if student physical fitness impacts learning outcomes and an extended research period.
Recommended Citation
Zollinger, Shanan K.. (2017). Aerobic Exercise and its Effect on Students’ Readiness to Learn. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/maed/235
Included in
Educational Methods Commons, Elementary Education Commons, Health and Physical Education Commons