Influence of Organized vs Non Organized Physical Activity on School Adaptation Behavior

Abstract

It is now well-established that physical activity has positive effects on both physical and mental health. However, the influence of organized physical activity (i.e., programs controlled and supervised by a trainer) on school adaptive behavior of adolescents with disabilities and/or behavioral disorders remains unclear. School behavior adaptation involves the ability to learn, conform to school norms and manage school activities without major behavior conflicts. A cross-sectional study was conducted to test the differences between organized physical activity and non-organized physical activity in an after school program. Eighty Romanian adolescents were recruited and allocated to three groups: (a) with disabilities [Ds; N = 17, Mage = 14.55 years (SD = 1.16), 12 males and 5 females], (b) with conduct disorders [CDs, N = 21, Mage = 14.52 years (SD = 1.11) 16 males and 5 females], and (c) participants who had not shown signs of conduct disorders or disabilities [as a control group; N = 42, Mage = 14.2 years (SD = 0.46) 20 males and 22 females]. Personality traits, school behavior, and sensorimotor coordination were assessed by using the Eysenck personality questionnaire—junior scale, school in-adaptability questionnaire scale, and Vienna Test System Sport (SMK—sensorimotor coordination test) respectively. Multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA (3 × 3) and discriminant analysis were used to examine differences between the psychological and sensorimotor coordination outcomes across three groups and three types of physical activity context: (a) organized physical activity, (b) non-organized physical activity, and (c) no physical activity. The findings indicate that not participating in an organized physical activity program results in a reduced level of physical mobility and consequently is associated with maladaptive social and psychological outcomes. Thus, we argued that attending in an organized physical activity program is more beneficial for participants with disabilities and/or behavior disorders, due to an increase in the probability of school integration and development of their motor skills. Clearly more research is needed in order to investigate these effects in neurophysiological levels.

Physical activity and school adaptation among Chinese junior high school students: chain mediation of resilience and coping styles

“…This study indicated the correlation between physical activity and the school adaptation (Mosoi et al, 2020;Yan et al, 2020;Bai et al, 2022;Qin and Qin, 2023), resilience (Moljord et al, 2014;Hu, 2019;Belcher et al, 2021), coping styles (Cao and Zhang, 2006;Liu, 2016a) of junior high school students which aligns with previous researches. Furthermore, the resilience and coping styles of these students emerge as key factors impact school adaptation, each playing a distinct and partial mediating role in the relationship between physical activity and school adaptation.…”

“…Frontiers in Psychology 07 frontiersin.org academic stress (Cao et al, 2018). Involvement in organized physical activity is more beneficial for adolescent's school adaptation, due to an increase in the probability of school integration (Mosoi et al, 2020). In particular, participation in team related physical activity not only provides opportunities for forming new friendships but also eases integration into peer groups through shared interests (Zhang, 2023).…”

Associations between Physical Activity and Academic Competence: A Cross-Sectional Study among Slovenian Primary School Students

“…Future systematic reviews and meta-analyses should investigate the correlation between these results and objectively measured intensity and duration of PA in children (e.g., using advanced technology), considering the different settings in which children’s PA may occur. In addition to the FITT principle, other characteristics of PA should be considered, such as organized vs. nonorganized forms of PA [ 24 ], the timing of PA during daily activities [ 52 ], and enjoyment in PA [ 53 ]. These could be additional invaluable factors for understanding the relationship between PA and academic performance in school-age children.…”

“…For example, more physically fit children showed a greater ability to upregulate neural processes that support executive control to meet task demands and maintain performance [ 19 ]. PA positively affected attention and concentration [ 20 ], working memory, cognitive processing speed [ 21 ], psychomotor skills [ 17 ], self-awareness [ 22 ], metacognitive processes [ 23 ], and adaptive classroom behavior [ 24 ]. The evidence suggests that both quantitative (e.g., intensity, frequency, and duration) and qualitative (e.g., problem-solving complex demands) types of PA enhance cognitive processing [ 23 ].…”

“…Lima et al [ 26 ] reported that physical activity intervention was effective only in students who had failed a school year. These findings suggest that other confounding factors, such as developmental [ 5 , 15 , 27 ], behavioral [ 24 , 28 ], and contextual factors, in the family environment [ 15 , 25 ] and the school environment [ 26 , 29 ], may have a substantial impact on academic performance through interaction with PA. However, which confounding factors might play an important role and how they interact with PA and influence school children’s academic performance are still the focus of debates.…”