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ED504 Research Project Outline

There are three parts to Stage 1 of the Signature Project, which is the final product generated in the ED504 course. The purpose of the outline is to help candidates solidify a topic and approach to a research project for addressing an existing problem in their P-12 environment. The problem must be identified and supported by existing data and should be applicable to the candidate’s field of study (i.e., library media, counseling, teaching).

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Part 1 Data Gathering/Analysis

Gather data previously collected at the classroom, school, or district level to justify identification of a topic for study.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying and analyzing an educational problem or weakness currently found in candidate’s classroom or school for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project Stage 1 assignment. Remember, candidates will prepare only the Signature Project Stage 1 in ED504. The Signature Project Stage 1 is a research proposal for an experimental research proposal.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Identify the problem that you wish to research and write a problem statement. (i.e., The problem this study will address is poor

student academic achievement.) (Chapter 1)

2. Identify your hypothesis. (Chapter 1)

There is a higher correlation with students who participate in a daily physical education program and cognitive function

than those that do not.

Students who participate in a daily physical education program are more likely to find greater academic success in core classes such as math, science and language arts.

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3. Elaborate on how you determined this was a problem and write a purpose statement based on your problem statement. (i.e.,

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of socioeconomic status on student academic achievement.)

4. Construct a graphical representation that allows for easy analysis of your compiled data that highlights your problem. Identify

the source of the data and discuss its credibility. Examples of existing data might include school district test scores, state level

test scores, district special education referrals, district absenteeism reports, school retention reports, etc.

As an instructor, I have witnessed that the only students who are required to participate in routine physical education classes are those that are not involved in extracurricular school activities such as band, ROTC or school athletic teams. These extracurricular electives should not take the place of a physical education class as research shows that daily physical activity has significant benefits to mental cognition and brain function (retrieved from https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/pdf/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf, p. 47-52). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of daily physical activity on student achievement.

Effects of 20 Minutes of Physical Activity on Brain Function

(Hillman, C., Pontifex, M., Raine, L., Castelli, D., Hall, E., & Kramer, A., 2009).

This image indicates that acute exercise might serve as a cost-effective means for improving specific aspects of academic achievement and enhancing cognitive control in adolescents.

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Math Proficiency

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Reading & Language Arts Proficiency

The two previous graphs were pulled from publicschoolreview.com. It is a partner site of Boarding School Review, the leading online resource for evaluating private secondary boarding schools, and Private School Review. This network of sites aims to help families learn about and make the best pre-college educational choices for their children and is linked with the Alabama State Department of Education as well as provides access to many articles relative to issues within public school education. These graphs show the poor performance of the core classes that are taking the place of physical education classes within one of the Baldwin county public school systems. I am proposing that the routine addition of a physical education class (or physical activity breaks within the core classes by the physical education department within the school) may improve some of these scores for students at this institution.

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5. Discuss the data in your graphical representation to confirm that a problem or weakness can be addressed that is appropriate

to the scope of the required program.

6. Connect the problem or weakness to trends or patterns represented in your data.

Part 2 Literature Review

You will conduct a literature review, following APA format (most recent published edition), and become familiar with the scholarly debate surrounding your topic, and what scholars and practitioners say about the best way to address the particular need or problem identified through the data analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Reviewing and writing a Review of Literature on your chosen topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project Stage 1 assignment.

Number of Students in Foley High School: 1872

Number of Students Participating (Annually) in a Physical Education Class: Awaiting Data

I have reached out to Foley High School to obtain these statistics. While I was not able to get an answer prior to the deadline of this assignment, I will await this information and insert it into the next assignment as it will be vital in the summation of my research proposal and final project.

As previously discussed following the explanations accompanying the above graphical representations, data suggests that daily moderate to vigorous exercise may improve the proficiency of math, reading and language arts scores in Foley High School. While I am still awaiting data on the ratio of students who substitute a physical education class for a separate elective, I am confident the participation level of students in regular physical education classes compared to those in alternative classes will be significantly lower.

There is a wealth of data supporting the theory that regular physical activity has a significant positive impact on cognitive development as well as other aspects of wellness. The lack of participation of high school students in daily physical education classes can likely be connected to the low proficiency demonstrated in math, reading and language arts for this institution.

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RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Provide a developed statement of the research problem that demonstrates a sound and focused understanding of the

identified problem.

2. Identify best practice(s) that will be used to address the problem or weakness. This should be a theorist or theory that is

known and documented in the research literature.

3. Describe and justify a trend/theory that will be used to validate the use of the identified best practice(s) and clearly highlight

the connection with the identified trend/theory to address the problem.

The substitution of a required physical education class for an alternative course may be directly correlated with the inadequate scores in mathematics, English, reading, science and composite proficiency on the ACT exam for students at Foley High School.

All students at Foley High School will be required to participate in a daily physical education class in addition to the core curriculum of mathematics, English, reading, science and composite. Classroom instructors will coordinate with physical education instructors to incorporate classroom teaching elements into the physical education setting. In addition, physical education teachers will collaborate with classroom teachers and be responsible for facilitating 5 minute “brain breaks” into the seated instruction time of classroom coursework (Colorado Education Initiative, 2014). The annual practice ACT and ACT profile report will demonstrate the combination of physical activity and cognitive function in the classroom will improve ACT proficiencies.

There is a great deal of research that suggests a strong correlation between gains in cognitive ability and participation in physical activity (Rasberry. C., Lee S., & Robin L, 2011). A significant amount of this research has indicated a positive relationship between academic achievement and PA and fitness in school-aged children (Buck, Hillman, & Castelli, 2008; Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves, & Malina, 2006; Welk et al., 2010).

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4. Provide reference listings (in APA format) for a minimum of 10 sources (largely representative of the most recent five years)

you will use describe/justify the best practice and/or theory identified. Be sure to include only sources that show clear

connections with the best practice(s) and/or theory/trend identified as viable responses to the problem/weakness presented.

Alabama State Department of Education. (2019). ACT profile report-high school 2018-2019 (Report No. 011140). Foley, AL:

Alabama State Testing

Alabama State Department of Education. (2016). Mathematics Guidelines. Retrieved from

https://www.alsde.edu/sec/sct/COS/2016%20Revised%20Alabama%20Course%20of%20Study%20Mathematics.pdf

Alabama State Department of Education. (n.d.) Physical Education Guidelines. Retrieved from

https://www.alsde.edu/sec/sct/COS/1%202009%20Physical%20Education%20Course%20of%20Study.pdf

Blom, L. C., Alvarez, J., Zhang, L., & Kolbo, J. (2011). Associations between health-related physical fitness, academic

achievement and selected academic behaviors of elementary and middle school students in the state of Mississippi.

ICHPER-SD Journal of Research, 6(1), 13–19. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ936015&site=ehost-live

Buck, S. M., Hillman, C. H., & Castelli, D. M. (2008). The relation of aerobic fitness to stroop task performance in

preadolescent children. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40(1), 166-172.

Coe, D. P., Pivarnik, J. M, Womack, C. J., Reeves, M. J., & Malina, R. M. (2006). Effect of physical education and activity

levels on academic achievement in children. Medicine and Exercise Science in Sport and Exercise, 38(8), 1515-1519.

Eveland-Sayers. B. M., Farley, R. S., Fuller, D. K., Morgan, D. W., & Caputo, J. L. (2009). Physical fitness and academic

achievement in elementary school children. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 6, 99-104

Harveson, A., Hannon, J., Brusseau, T., Podlog, L., Chase, B., & Kyoung-doo Kang. (2018). Acute exercise and

achievement in high school youth. Physical Educator, 75(1), 25–36.

Rasberry, C. N., Lee, S. M., & Robin, L. (2011). The association between school-based physical activity including physical

education, and academic performance: a systematic review of the literature. Preventative Medicine, 52, S10-S20.

Santiago, J. A., Roper, E. A., Disch, J. G., & Morales, J. (2013). The relationship among aerobic capacity, body composition,

and academic achievement of fourth and fifth grade Hispanic students. Physical Educator, 70(1), 89–105.

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5. Provide a summary of the literature and how it justifies the need for study. You are synthesizing your collection of sources into

a brief 1-2 paragraph summary. Do NOT describe the specific studies included in your sources.

Part 3 Methodology/Action Plan

You will write a measurable and executable action plan on your chosen topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project Stage 1 assignment. The action plan must be APA formatted (most recently published edition). Collaborative resources must be included and each category in the grading rubric must be addressed. Evidence of collaboration with appropriate stakeholders is required.

Shephard, R. J. (1996). Habitual physical activity and academic performance. Nutrition Reviews, 54(4), S32-S36.

Tomporowski, P. D. (2003) Cognitive and behavioral response to acute exercise in youths. A review. Pediatric Exercise

Science, 15(4), 348-359.

Travlos, A. K. (2010) High intensity physical education classes and cognitive performance in eighth-grade students: An

applied study. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 8(3), 302-311.

Welk, G. J., Jackson, A. W., Morrow, J. R., Haskell, W. H., Meredith, M. D., & Cooper, K. H. (2010). The association of

health-related fitness with indicators of academic performance in Texas schools. Research Quarterly for Exercise and

Sport, 81(3), S16-S23.

While not all correlations were as strong as others, the literature demonstrates a clear and consistent result that physical activity has a positive impact on academic success. In some cases, the data showed a correlation between improved fitness testing and academic grades while other studies showed a direct correlation of improved test scores following vigorous physical activity. In addition to enhanced cognition, regular physical activity also improved morale, self-confidence and decreased behavior issues in class. With the majority of children at Foley High School taking alternative classes to P.E. and underperforming on the ACT, this study is imperative to show the important relationship that exists between regular physical activity classes and improved academic performance.

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OBJECTIVE: Writing a measurable and executable action plan on an identified topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project assignment.

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:

1. Identify the population and provide a description of the participant sample and the sampling technique.

2. Justify the sampling technique and the sample chosen.

3. Describe the role of all participants and the plan to prevent harm to them, including the plan for protecting student

confidentiality and data.

4. Provide a description of steps and sequence of steps required to complete a successful study.

The accessible population will consist of all students in grades 10-12 at Foley High School. The ninth-grade students will not be included in the population because they are not required to complete the Pre-ACT or ACT exam until their sophomore year. The sample will consist of students in grades 10-12 enrolled at Foley High School. Since all students are required to take a physical education course or approved alternative course and all are also required to take the Pre-ACT or ACT, there will be a viable pool for results in both those enrolled in a physical education course and those enrolled in an alternative activity course. A simple random sample will be used in this study.

The research will be conducted through a quantitative study using the results from the Pre-ACT and the ACT as the method for data collection. A sample of 50 students from each experimental & control group will be selected through a simple random sample so each and every member of the population has an equal and independent chance of being selected.

Each student in grades 10-12 at Foley High School will register to take the Pre-ACT (10th grade) or the ACT (11-12 grades). Although this research involves little to no risk to participants, informed consent will be obtained from parents or guardians due to the fact the research subjects are minors. In order to protect the identity of the students, all participants will be assigned a random number (0-50) based on which group they are designated so no identity will be linked to results.

a. Students will be designated as PE1## (physical education class participation), PE2## (physical education class and “brain breaks” participation), ALT1## (alternative class to physical education class) or ALT2## (alternative class to physical education class with “brain breaks” participation).

b. The Pre-ACT will be administered to all tenth-grade students and results designated to the experimental group.

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5. Justify the plan of action with respect to the identified problem and purpose. Be sure to justify the connection between the plan and the expected impact on student achievement,

6. Define constitutive and operational definitions of key terms.

c. The ACT will be administered to all eleventh and twelfth-grade students and results designated to the experimental group. d. Students in the “Brain Break” experimental group will participate in 2, 5 to 10-minute brain breaks during seated instruction time. e. Following three months of participation, all Pre-ACT and ACT exams will be re-administered to determine if there is an effect of participation in regular physical education classes on core proficiencies.

Foley High School students are falling below state standards in mathematics, reading, science and English. State physical education standards also grant students the ability to substitute an alternative “activity” class in place of a physical education class despite numerous studies showing improved cognition. This quantitative study will seek to determine whether participation in a regular physical education class has any bearing on core proficiency within the stated population. Substantial scientific evidence exists stating a benefit of cognitive processes in the classroom in conjunction with regular physical activity participation. By implementing regular physical education classes and “brain breaks” from seated instruction time, proficiency in mathematics, reading, science and English will improve within students of Foley High School.

Proficiency-a high degree of competency or skill; the ability to completely understand a concept.

Alternative Activity Class-a class that is deemed an approved substitute for an accredited physical education class.

Core Proficiency-mastering the classes in education deemed the central or most important part of a school’s curriculum. For this study, the core classes include mathematics, reading, science and English.

Brain Break-a 5-10-minute break from seated classroom instruction where a certified physical education teacher engages students in movement or exercises to increase blood flow, cognitive stimulation and mental alertness in the hopes of improved success within classroom instruction.

PE101-The experimental group within the study that will participate in regular physical activity classes.

PE201-The experimental group within the study that will participate in regular physical activity classes. In addition to the physical education class, this group will also receive “brain breaks” twice a day each day of the week they are enrolled in school.

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7. Identify the variables in the study and define how each will be measured.

ALT101- The control group within the study that will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to an approved physical education class.

ALT201-The experimental group within the study that will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to an approved physical education class. In addition to the alternative activity class, this group will also receive “brain breaks” twice a day each day of the week they are enrolled in school.

PE101-This experimental group within the study will participate in regular physical activity classes. This group of students will be enrolled in a physical education class that meets five days per week led by a certified physical education teacher. The teacher will ensure that all students participate in moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.

PE201- This experimental group within the study will participate in regular physical activity classes. This group of students will be enrolled in a physical education class that meets five days per week led by a certified physical education teacher. The teacher will ensure that all students participate in moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. In addition to the regular P.E. class, this group will also receive “brain breaks” twice a day each day of the week they are enrolled in school.

ALT101- This control group within the study will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to an approved physical education class. The class will be led by the band director, ROTC leader, coach or school-approved leader designated to their alternative activity class.

ALT201- This control group within the study will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to an approved physical education class. The class will be led by the band director, ROTC leader, coach or school-approved leader designated to their alternative activity class. In addition to the alternative activity class, this group will also receive “brain breaks” twice a day each day of the week they are enrolled in school.

Pre-ACT & ACT-The American College Testing exam that is used by all colleges and universities in the United States as an entrance exam. The exam tests English, reading, mathematics and science. The results from the Pre-ACT and ACT administered to participants will be used to determine the impact physical activity has on the core proficiencies at Foley High School

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8. Describe the data that is needed for the study and how it will be collected. Include a description of the timeline for the data collection.

9. Identify any instrument that will be used in the study and its validity and reliability measures.

10. Describe any threats to internal validity of the study and measures for control.

11. Describe the limitations or outside interferences that might interfere with improved student achievement.

The Pre-ACT (grade 10) and ACT exams (grades 11 & 12) will be administered to all students (respectively) at the beginning of the study. The population will be divided into experimental and control groups for a duration of three months. The Pre-ACT and ACT exams will be re-administered following the three-month study and data on the exam will determine if the hypothesis was correct or incorrect.

The Pre-ACT & ACT exams are nationally recognized examinations used for entrance into colleges and universities in the United States. These will be the instruments used for data collection and are extremely reliable sources of measurement. In addition, the core proficiencies of English, reading, mathematics and science are the specific domains tested on the examination.

While questions will be asked in a variety of methods, the same level of Pre-ACT and ACT exam will be administered to students initially and following the three-month study. All physical education teachers will hold a state certification exam and all alternative activity classes will be led by school-approved instructors. Weekly lesson plans will ensure all students participating in physical education classes are receiving 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous, daily physical activity. All students participating in the brain break experimental groups will be given the same level of activity to improve validity and reliability. A large enough simple random sample will be taken to account for absenteeism and student withdrawals.

If students miss school due to sickness or withdrawal, absenteeism could interfere with improved student achievement. If students request permission to be removed from the study or are not able for any reason to take the final Pre-ACT or ACT exam, failure to comply with the re-administration of the exam could also interfere with improved student achievement. If students become injured and are unable to participate in regular physical activity, this could also interfere with improved student

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