The Concept of Moving School and Its Practical Implementation in Bavarian Higher Secondary Schools

Abstract

The roles of physical activity and the reduction in sedentary activities in the healthy physical, psychosocial and mental development of children and adolescents are undisputed. This is where the concept of Moving School comes in, which has been expanded to a holistic approach that takes into account all areas of the school, including lessons, after-school care and breaks, and aims to provide students with a sufficient level of physical activity. There are no current studies that show to what extent this concept has arrived in the theoretical specifications for higher secondary schools and to what extent it is implemented in practice. In this study, by conducting a narrative review, we determine the core elements of the concept of Moving School. Furthermore, we analyse the extent to which these elements of Moving School are taken into account in the school curriculum, in published school programmes and on school homepages. In this study, we revealed that the concept of Moving School has hardly been implemented in practice in Bavarian higher secondary schools as mostly only single elements of it are referred to in the school curriculum, programmes and school homepages. It can therefore be assumed that the concept has not yet been able to achieve its intended effect, namely, to fill the daily lives of schoolchildren with movement, play and sport.

Physical Education and Gender Differences in Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior Related to Academic Success of Science-Related Courses for Children in the State of Qatar

“…Physical activity has wide-ranging benefits for children's physical and mental health [4]. Conversely, sedentary behavior (SB) exerts negative health consequences [5]. Advocates often emphasize the significance of engaging in PA for enhancement of academic achievement.…”

“…Obesity [13,14], poor metabolic health [15,16], and worse psychosocial health in children [5] have all been linked to voluminous SB. In a comprehensive, population-based survey, it was found that Americans between the ages of 8 and 18 years of age sat down for 10.7 h on average each day (11.2 h for boys and 10.3 h for girls).…”

“…A rise in habits like the use of mobile devices may be partially responsible for recent rises in SB in children and adolescents [19]. However, TV viewing has dominated the majority of studies looking at SB in children and teenagers [5], most likely because mobile device ownership has just recently become widespread. As a result, significant SBs that add to overall sedentary time have not been taken into account in studies.…”