Physically active academic lessons in general upper secondary school - student study

Students' experiences and the acute effects of physically active academic lessons on students' situational engagement and cognitive prerequisites of learning in general upper secondary school

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN63809854

Enrollment

120

Registered

2024-01-11

Start date

2024-02-12

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-03-23

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Effects of physically active academic lessons in general upper secondary school Other

Interventions

The effectiveness of physically active academic lessons is examined with a cluster-randomized individual crossover trial. We recruit math and foreign language students from grades 1 and 2 in general u

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

16 Years to 20 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Math and foreign language students from grades 1 and 2 in general upper secondary school

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Young people who are not able to participate in physical activities due to disability or health reasons will not be included in the analyses.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Alertness is assessed with a self-reported questionnaire (eKarolinska Sleepiness scale, KSS) at four times during the 75 min academic lesson in every treatment. 2. Executive functions are evaluated with a modified version of the Eriksen flanker task in the beginning and the end of the 75 min academic lesson in every treatment. 3. Situation-specific engagement is assessed with the computer-based InSituations (InSitu) instrument at the end of the 75 min academic lesson in every treatment. 4. Students’ perceptions and experiences are assessed with transcribed interviews of students.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Alertness is assessed with a self-reported questionnaire (eKarolinska Sleepiness scale, KSS) at four times during the 75 min academic lesson in every treatment. 2. Executive functions are evaluated with a modified version of the Eriksen flanker task in the beginning and the end of the 75 min academic lesson in every treatment. 3. Situation-specific engagement is assessed with the computer-based InSituations (InSitu) instrument at the end of the 75 min academic lesson in every treatment. 4. Students’ perceptions and experiences are assessed with transcribed interviews of students.

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Physical load (beat-to-beat heart rate, stress, recovery, sleep and physical activity metrics) is measured with Firstbeat Bodyguard 3 sensors at the baseline and during every treatment. 2. Mental load. Study burnout and engagement are measured with the Student Burnout Inventory (SBI-9) and Energy, Dedication and Absorption (EDA-9) questionnaires at the baseline. 3. Perceived physical competence is measured with a questionnaire including a modified Perceived Physical Competence Scale for Children (PPCS) and with questions for ability and desire to develop one's own physical ability at the baseline. 4. Perceived academic competence is assessed with a questionnaire including self-reported academic achievement score (AA) and self-perceptions (in math and foreign language) at the baseline.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Physical load (beat-to-beat heart rate, stress, recovery, sleep and physical activity metrics) is measured with Firstbeat Bodyguard 3 sensors at the baseline and during every treatment. 2. Mental load. Study burnout and engagement are measured with the Student Burnout Inventory (SBI-9) and Energy, Dedication and Absorption (EDA-9) questionnaires at the baseline. 3. Perceived physical competence is measured with a questionnaire including a modified Perceived Physical Competence Scale for Children (PPCS) and with questions for ability and desire to develop one's own physical ability at the baseline. 4. Perceived academic competence is assessed with a questionnaire including self-reported academic achievement score (AA) and self-perceptions (in math and foreign language) at the baseline.

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Countries

Finland

Contacts

Public ContactHeidi J Syväoja

heidi.syvaoja@jamk.fi+358 400248133

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Apr 3, 2026