Childhood Fitness and Academic Performance: An Investigation into the Effect of Aerobic Capacity on Academic Test Scores

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51

Statistical Analysis; Grade 5; Elementary School Students; Physical Fitness; Mathematics Achievement; Comparative Analysis; Measurement; Scores; Influences; Gender Differences; Racial Differences; Ethnic Groups; Body Weight; Body Composition; Obesity; Physical Activity Level; Student Behavior; Academic Achievement; Physical Education; Correlation

The purpose of this quantitate ve study was to determine whether or not students in fifth grade who meet the healthy fitness zone (HFZ) for aerobic capacity on the fall 2013 FITNESSGRAM® Test scored higher on the math portion of the 2013 fall Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test, than students that failed to reach the HFZ for aerobic capacity on the fall 2013 FITNESSGRAM® Test. Ninety-six fifth grade students at a public elementary school in Greenville, SC participated in MAP testing, and the fifteen meter FITNESSGRAM® PACER (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run). Their body mass index (BMI) and number of laps ran on the PACER was put into the FITNESSGRAM®'s computer based program which will calculate their aerobic capacity and show whether or not they met the HFZ requirements as determined by the FITNESSGRAM®. These students were then placed into two groups, those who met the HFZ and those who did not meet the HFZ. The corresponding math MAP scores for the two groups was averaged and compared to one another. The data was disaggregated by race and gender. The demographic data for the study's participants are enumerated as follows. Male participants numbered fifty-three, with forty-one being Caucasian, seven African American, and five other (includes Hispanic, more than one ethnicity, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaskan). Female participants numbered forty-three, with twenty-eight being Caucasian, ten African American, and five other. The average math MAP RIT score for students that met the HFZ for aerobic capacity was 226.9, while the average score for those that did not meet the HFZ for aerobic capacity was 218.4. This is a difference of 8.5 points. Having a health enhancing level of aerobic fitness was a positive influence for academic achievement regardless of gender or race. School districts need to allocate sufficient funds, resources, personnel, and facilities in order to provide students with quality physical education at the elementary level. The following are appended: (1) Picture of SECA® Scale; (2) Graphs of MAP Scores for Met and Not Met Healthy Fitness Zones; (3) Graph of Met Healthy Fitness Zone for Aerobic Capacity; and (4) Graph of Mean Math MAP RIT Scores.

As Provided

45

2015

ED560160