Physically Active Lessons Improve Lesson Activity and On-Task Behavior: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of the “Virtual Traveller” Intervention

Abstract

Background. Physically active lessons have not often been assessed with randomized controlled trials. Aims. Evaluate the effects of the “Virtual Traveller” (VT) intervention delivered using classroom interactive whiteboards on physical activity, on-task behavior, and student engagement. Methods. Participants were 219 children aged 8 to 9 years from 10 schools in Greater London, assessed in a cluster-randomized controlled trial between March 2015 and May 2016. For 6 weeks, intervention children received 10-minute VT sessions three times a week during math and English lessons (VT group: n = 113). Children in control schools received regular teaching (COM group: n = 106). Outcomes were school-day, weekend-day, and lesson-time sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and on-task behavior and student engagement, assessed at baseline (T0), 2 weeks (T1), and 4 weeks (T2) during the VT intervention and 1 week (T3) and 3 months (T4) postintervention using multilevel modeling. Results. VT pupils engaged in significantly more school-day MVPA at T1 only, with no other significant differences between groups in overall school-day or weekend-day activity. VT pupils engaged in significantly less SB and more MVPA during lesson time than COM pupils. More on-task behavior was shown in VT pupils than COM pupils but there was no difference in student engagement. Discussion. VT reduced sedentary behavior and increased physical activity during lesson time but not across overall school or weekend days. VT improved on-task behavior but had no effect on student engagement. Conclusion. Physical activity can be integrated into teaching using interactive whiteboards with no detriment to educational outcomes.