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BackgroundThe incidence of mental health issues in children is increasing worldwide. In Chile, a recent surge in reports of deteriorating mental health among school populations and an increase in complaints related to poor school climate have been observed. Physical activity, specifically active breaks in the classroom, has shown positive effects on children’s health. However, evidence regarding its impact on mental health and school climate in children is limited.ObjectiveThis work outlines the design, measurements, intervention program, and potential efficacy of the “Active Classes + School Climate and Mental Health” project. This project will assess a 12-week program of active breaks through guided videos with curricular content in the school classroom, and its effects on mental health and school climate as its primary indicators. Additionally, it will measure physical activity, physical fitness, motor competence, and academic performance in students aged 6–10 years in the Biobío province, Chile, as secondary indicators. Methodology: A multicenter randomized controlled trial involving 823 students from 1st to 4th grade (6–10 years old), six schools (three intervention and three control) will be conducted in the Biobío region, Chile. Participants belonging to the intervention group will implement video-guided active breaks through the “Active Classes” web platform, featuring curricular content, lasting 5–10 min and of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, twice a day, Monday to Friday, over a span of 12 weeks. Expected Results/Discussion: To our knowledge, this will be the first study in Chile to evaluate the effects of incorporating video-guided active breaks with curricular content on mental health variables and school climate in schoolchildren. Thus, this study contributes to the scarce evidence on the effects of video-guided active breaks on mental health variables and school climate in schoolchildren worldwide. Additionally, it will provide crucial information about active teaching methodologies that have the potential to positively contribute to the wellbeing of students, thus addressing the problems of mental health and climate in Chilean schools. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT06423404.

Objetivo: Analizar las características metodológicas y de investigación, los antecedentes del sujeto de estudio y de las evaluaciones e intervenciones de las tesis de pregrado de la carrera de kinesiología en una universidad chilena durante los años 2010 - 2018.Materiales y métodos: Se analizaron 91 tesis; para su análisis se utilizó un instrumento validado que se organizó en tres grandes categorías: a) características metodológicas y de investigación, b) antecedentes del sujeto de estudio y c) antecedentes de las evaluaciones e intervenciones, y se registró un total de 38 ítems.Resultados: Se reportó que las tesis mayoritariamente las realizan dos estudiantes tesis-tas, en conjunto con un guía con grado licenciado, presentan un alcance descriptivo, diseño no experimental, temporalidad transversal, con muestras pequeñas, no probabilísticas, por conveniencia, utilizando cuestionarios y/o encuestas para medir parámetros de actividad y condición físicas principalmente en las áreas respiratoria y traumatológica. Las tesis cumplen con la estructura de un reporte científico, aun cuando un gran porcentaje de ellas tiene referencias poco actualizadas y no incluyen datos de aprobación del comité de ética. Los sujetos de estudio principalmente eran jóvenes y adultos pertenecientes a centros educativos de enseñanza básica, media, universitaria o a una red de atención de salud pública que presentaban algún diagnóstico médico de enfermedad cardiometabólica.Conclusión: Este estudio reveló información valiosa respecto a cómo se ha llevado a cabo la formación investigativa de esta carrera de la salud, identificó áreas de conocimiento, poblaciones y condiciones de salud poco exploradas y los tratamientos usados frecuentemente.

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In research on onshore English Language (EL) Centres, there is ongoing debate regarding the academic and linguistic (including written) outcomes of international students for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL). There is little research, however, on the outcomes of EL Centres' pedagogical approaches, despite its potential to improve outcomes. The present study aimed to compare two courses at a university-based EL Centre: an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course and a genre-based (GB) course, 'Reading to Learn' (Rose & Martin, 2012). The article describes a collaborative study between an EL Centre, the university's Learning Centre and a university faculty. The primarily postgraduate students (N = 171) wrote an essay and answered a questionnaire about their perceptions of university preparation. The essays were assessed in terms of the MASUS (Measuring the Academic Skills of University Students) Procedure (Bonanno & Jones, 2007) and the resulting scores and questionnaire responses for the two strands were analysed in terms of descriptive and correlational statistics. The results for writing show that, in the total cohort, the genre-based students significantly outperformed the EAP students overall and in grammatical correctness but differences were not found either on some measures of 'at risk' writing or in the cohort recommended for university. The results for the questionnaire show that the genrebased students perceived aspects of their academic and language preparation in a significantly more positive light than the EAP students. A close look at four students' writing and the comments of all students on the questionnaire reveals individual strengths and weaknesses in both groups. In considering the implications of the findings for the English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) industry, the article concludes that, to improve written outcomes, EL Centres should introduce a genre-based approach, with fine-tuning to meet the needs of all EAL students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]