Background
Methods
School context
Study design
Study population
School | Geographic location | School size (number of students) | Level of school | Municipal expenses per student (USD) | Disposable household (USD) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Region of Southern Denmark | 385 | Grades 4–9 | 11,951 | 67,545 |
2 | Region of Southern Denmark | 324 | Grades 0–6 | 11,951 | 49,789 |
3 | Region of Southern Denmark | 609 | Grades 0–9 | 10,287 | 105,548 |
4 | Region of Southern Denmark | 359 | Grades 0–9 | 10,287 | 68,798 |
5 | Region of Southern Denmark | 347 | Grades 0–9 | 10,287 | 83,993 |
6 | Region of Southern Denmark | 866 | Grades 0–9 | 11,129 | 69,559 |
7 | Region of Southern Denmark | 764 | Grades 0–10 | 11,263 | 76,568 |
8 | Region of Southern Denmark | 605 | Grades 0–10 | 11,052 | 85,112 |
9 | Capital region | 904 | Grades 0–9 | 11,130 | 50,540 |
10 | Capital region | 580 | Grades 0–10 | 11,130 | 49,367 |
Re-aim
Reach
Effectiveness
Adoption
Implementation
Maintenance
Data sources
Danish database of national statistics
Accelerometers
Questionnaire
Semi-structured interviews
Data analysis
Quantitative data analysis
Qualitative data analysis
Ethical considerations
Results
Reach
Effectiveness
School | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grade | 5–9 | 5–6 | 5–6 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5–8 | 5–8 | 5–8 | 6–8 | 5–8 |
% students reaching 45 min. Daily PA within the curriculum | 45.2 | 80.8 | 82.6 | 4.5 | 35.3 | 33.3 | 32.3 | 40.7 | 73.6 | 30.4 | 38.8 |
Average daily PA within the curriculum (minutes) | 48.5 | 56.1 | 60.1 | 32.3 | 38.5 | 39.2 | 40.7 | 41.9 | 57.3 | 42.8 | 42.5 |
Range (min/max) of PA within the curriculum (minutes) | 5.2–115.4 | 15.3–84.8 | 28.4–102.5 | 10.7–45.3 | 11.3–68.0 | 16.7–56.6 | 5.2–76.0 | 11.5–103.1 | 13.7–115.4 | 22.8–95.9 | 18.7–76.7 |
Adoption
The individual teacher’s interest in PA seemed crucial for commitment to the mandatory PA within the curriculum. Also, managerial support was important in order to take responsibility for developing a school culture supporting the delivery of PA within the curriculum.“I think it depends on your interests. There are some [teachers, Ed.] who absolutely do not believe that PA does any good. That it’s rather a disturbing element”. (Leading teacher, school #3)
Furthermore, most school managers had experienced teachers who, from the outset, were poorly prepared for handling PA within the curriculum, challenging the adoption of the PA requirement. At five of the included schools (school #1, #2, #3, #4, and #9), it was therefore prioritized that all teachers participated in either a course or a workshop to strengthen their skills in how to include PA within the curriculum. The interviews showed that especially workshops or courses conducted by internal coordinators were useful for school adoption of the requirement, allowing teachers to continuously develop their competencies through ongoing follow-up workshops or courses.“It’s about making them [teachers, Ed. ] think it’s a good idea. And to do so, I need to be dedicated to it. And I need to take responsibility for the process in order to make it grow”. (Deputy principal, school #6)
Delivering PA within the curriculum required that some teachers renewed learning formats — challenging their professional identity and calling for new or, at least, adjusted approaches to teaching. Some teachers believed a heightened focus on PA threatened the academic standard of their teaching:“It is our teachers who planned the pedagogical day, which means that after these workshops teachers know from whom they can be aided or take inspiration (…) Instead of hiring an external course organizer, who will leave afterwards along with the information. This way the information stays at the school, so that we continuously can get hold of it, which motivates teachers to take active part in it”. (Head of school #3)
“Renewing your teaching is a really, really huge challenge. (...) It’s difficult because it’s a change of so many habits and working methods, which you [teachers, Ed.] believe students will learn a lot from”. (Principal, school #3)
Implementation
Thus, collaboration with external parties helped schools accomplishing the mandatory PA component, putting facilities and instructors at disposal.“We have established a collaboration with an athletics club and a cycling club. ( … ) We have some facilities and opportunities here at the school, but the collaborations are also about being able to thrive on associations with other facilities and opportunities than what we have here”. (Principal, school #4)
Maintenance
Having teachers especially motivated for PA was another important factor for maintenance. Two schools (school #2 and #9) even stated that, when hiring, they searched for teachers interested in PA. In order to ensure maintenance, several principals also stated that PA needed to be a school management priority, allocating resources for PA education and materials, and leading a common strategy for delivering PA within the curriculum: “I think there are things that are essential for sustainability. One such thing is that it has to be a management priority”. (Deputy principal, School #2).“In order to continue delivering PA within the curriculum, we will continue having PA coordinators at all bases [year groups, Ed.]. And if one of those leave another one will take its place”. (Deputy principal, School #9)
“In our municipality, we are required to produce something called ‘focus areas’. I think I am about to produce the sixth focus area within one and a half year. And if you continue to introduce a new focus area every two or three months, you will lose sight of the focus area you were using 9 months ago” (Principal, school #3).