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Physical activity plays an important role in childhood development and is associated with positive health, social, emotional, and academic benefits. Despite this, children are often sedentary for most of their school day and fail to meet daily activity recommendations. Incorporating physical activity breaks into the classroom can achieve many positive outcomes, however has not been widely adopted. This study used the diffusion of innovation theory as a framework to examine teacher perceptions of barriers and facilitators to incorporating physical activity breaks into their elementary classrooms. Teachers perceived compatibility with teaching philosophy and observability of benefits to most students as strong facilitators. They struggled to reconcile relative advantage and trailability, primarily due to classroom management issues associated with just a few students. Lack of complexity facilitated implementation, however upper grade teachers felt a strong need to connect activity to academics which threatened complexity. The authors conclude with recommendations to increase adoption.

This study examined the effect of a physical activity program on student activity during recess and on disruptive classroom behavior. The program was implemented during recess for 5 weeks in a rural elementary school. Prior to and during the program, teachers recorded observations of sedentary students during recess and of disruptive classroom behavior before and after recess. The number of sedentary students during recess decreased significantly during the program (p < 0.05) and classroom behavior significantly improved after recess (p < 0.001), differences that were not seen prior to the start of the program. Physical activity initiatives can improve student participation in physical activity during recess while costing little and maintaining student choice. Increased physical activity during recess improves children's ability to meet daily activity recommendations and may improve the classroom environment by decreasing disruptive behaviors.

College athletes experience high levels of stress, and academics is one of the primary causes. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a study skills training workshop designed around the theory of Multiple Intelligences. The pilot workshop was developed with minimal resources, tailored to college athletes, and focused on helping them adopt personally meaningful active study strategies. An inductive, naturalistic evaluation approach was used to analyze the qualitative responses of 55 athletes who participated in the workshop. Findings showed that those who adopted active study strategies experienced benefits in the areas of decreased stress, perceived effectiveness, perceived efficiency, greater variety of options for how to study, and academic benefits. While benefits to active studying far outnumbered barriers, participants did identify some challenges including time, lack of applicability to all classes, and the challenge of learning something new. The results of this study provide support for utilizing individualized study skills training that empowers students to capitalize on their personal learning strengths. Such programs can be built into the academic support structures delivered by academic advisors and learning specialists, with potential benefits in the areas of both mental health and skill development to support academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student-athletes are subject to high levels of stress due to their combined academic and athletic responsibilities, which can have a negative impact on health and academic performance. The COVID-19 global pandemic caused unparalleled academic disruption and increased stress for all college students. This study examined perceptions of academic stress specifically, both prior to and during the pandemic, and factors that contribute to increased stress levels. One-hundred forty-eight student-athletes from a division three institution completed a quantitative stress questionnaire prior to and during the pandemic. Results showed that females experience more academic stress than males, that stress increased significantly during the pandemic, and that GPA and hours spent studying were predictors of academic stress, while number of credits, sport season, and use of support services were not. This research indicates that support for academic stress management and academic performance is warranted and should target high risk groups, especially during times of academic disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]