Studying the Impact of Physical Activity on Educational Achievement
We have led the way in developing an evidence base for the impact that physical activity can have on educational development.
For more than 10 years MISPA researchers have investigated the benefits that physical activity can provide on self esteem and educational achievement in school children. The research has worked with more than 10,000 children and assessed over 1,000,000 hours of PE lessons. Recently this work was highlighted on BBC television and in the national press and regional press.
During 2009 pilot programmes were begun to expand the work to observation and interventions within maths and english classes, providing the opportunity to widen the research impact across the curriculum.
To date the longitudinal research has been based around two projects:
Millennium Research Project
Manchester Children’s Fund
A detailed report on the findings from both the Millennium Research Project and the Manchester Chidlren's Fund programme can be found here.
In addition, investigations to date have produced a number of research papers:
Effects of a 6-week aerobic dance intervention on body image and physical self-perceptions in adolescent girls, Gillian Burgess, Sarah Grogan , Les Burwitz (2005)
This paper presents the findings of a 6 week physical activity program on 50 British female adolescent’s body image and physical self-perceptions. The implications of this research are discussed along with future recommendations.
The validity and reliability of the children and youth physical self-perception Profile, Gillian Liggett, Les Burwitz, & Sarah Grogan [Journal of Sport Sciences, no. 20, issue 1, p67] (2002)
This abstract details the validity and reliability of the children and youth physical self-perceptions profile (CY-PSPP) among 250 British female adolescents. The instrument measures the physical self-perceptions (sports competence, body attractiveness, physical condition, strength competence) and self-esteem in school children.
Assessment of the body attitudes questionnaire, Gillian Liggett, Les Burwitz, & Sarah Grogan [Journal of Sport Sciences, no. 20, issue 1, p68] (2002)
This abstract details the validity and reliability of the Body Attitudes Questionnaire (BAQ) among 250 British female adolescents. The BAQ measures six aspects of body experience in females namely, attractiveness, disparagement, feeling fat, salience, lower body fatness and strength/fitness
To discuss these projects and any other related matters please contact Andrew Ramwell on a.ramwell@mmu.ac.uk or (0161) 247 1961.