ECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH18
INTRODUCTION: Childrens physical activity has various educational effects and improves physical fitness and health. However, children have lost interest in physical activity, and video games are the most popular form of play. Regarding educational effects, non-cognitive and cognitive skills have been emphasized recently. This also applies to physical activity. Non-cognitive skills are called social and emotional skills (SES) by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the research results of an international comparison have recently been published. However, Japan has not participated in this survey. Therefore, there is a lack of understanding of the current situation in Japanese childrens SES, including the importance of SES as an educational effect. Thus, this study aimed to construct and validate the OECD SES scale short version and to examine the relationship between SES scores and elementary school childrens physical activity habits. METHODS: A questionnaire comprising four items related to physical activity habits (physical activity preference, physical activity time [weekdays or weekends], number of friends to play with) and a 45-item SES scale—short version—was administered to 2223 elementary school children in Grades 4–6. The OECD SES Scale comprises 120 items, and 15 sub-factors have been identified by factor analysis (OECD, 2021). Considering the survey burden on children, we created a short version with 45 items by selecting the top three items representing each factor from the published factor analysis results. We then applied factor analysis to the collected data and confirmed that the SES scale short version retains the same simple structure with 15 factors as the OECDs original dataset. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to examine the differences in each factor score and the composite score of the 45 items (SES total) based on childrens physical activity habits. RESULTS: Factor analysis was applied to the SES Short version data, and a simple structure of 15 factors was confirmed. The total variance explained was 63.0%, and high-reliability coefficients were confirmed for all aspects. Significant differences in SES Total scores were confirmed for all items about physical activity habits. Children with better physical activity scored significantly higher for all factors except creativity and responsibility. CONCLUSION: The short version of the SES scale was proposed to assess SES adequately. The SES total score was higher for children with better physical activity habits, and many subfactor scores were also significantly higher. This suggests that childrens physical activity is effective in increasing their SES. Conversely, because no significant differences were found in the creativity and responsibility factors, the effect of physical activity on these factors appears to be minimal. Reference: OECD (2021). Beyond Academic Learning. First results from the survey of social and emotional skills.
Read CV Takahiro NakanoECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH18
INTRODUCTION: Scientific literature agrees that regular participation in structured sports activities during school benefits academic performance (1). However, Italian students remain reluctant to engage in regular physical activity. According to ISTAT, in 2021, continuous sports participation among 3-17-year-olds dropped from 51.3% to 36.2%, while sedentary behavior increased from 22.3% to 27.2% (2). Despite this decline, studies emphasize the positive impact of sports on academic success, particularly team sports, which foster discipline, time management, and dedication—skills that enhance both school performance and daily life (3). However, uncertainties remain regarding the specific effects of school curriculum and sport participation. For this reason, the present study aims to analyse high school students’ profiles, comparing sport-oriented high school curriculum versus traditional curriculum ones on motor and cognitive attributes. METHODS: 50 high school students attending 11th grade of the Italian school system (60% boys and 40% girls,) were recruited for this study. Each participant was assigned to Sport-Oriented (SOG) or Traditional (TRG) group according to the personal school curriculum. All participants must declare to practice at least a sport discipline to be involved in the study. All parents approved their attendance at this study by signing informed consent. Physical fitness was assessed with the Leger Multistage Fitness Test (aerobic fitness), 10m and 30m sprints (speed), CMJ (lower-body strength) and Reactive Agility Test (RAT) for reaction and agility. At the same time, cognitive performance was evaluated with computerized and validated battery of specific cognitive tests (3). RESULTS: No significant differences were detected in motor profile evaluation (p> 0,05) except for RAT (p< 0.05) in favour of SOG. In addition, a trend to significance (p= 0.061) was detected in aerobic fitness in favour of SOG. Cognitive profile analysis underlines a significant correlation in favour of SOG for “search and selection” (p<0.05), working memory (p< 0.01), attention distribution (p<0.01) and attention shifting (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Sport-oriented high school students showed better cognitive performance in working memory, attention distribution, and cognitive flexibility. Motor differences were minimal, except for superior reactive agility and a trend towards better aerobic fitness. These findings suggest that a sport-focused curriculum may contribute to enhanced cognitive abilities, likely due to the combination of structured physical activity and the skills promoted through sports participation. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of such curricula on both academic and personal development. REFERENCES: 1 Redondo-Flórez, et al., Int J Env Res Pub He, 2022 2 ISTAT Sport, attività fisica, sedentarietà - Anno 2021, 2022 3 Stucko, M., Kinesiol Sport Stud, Phys Edu Synth Projects, 2018 4 Di Nuovo, S., Attenzione e concentrazione. Erickson, 2024
Read CV Matteo RomanazziECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH18
INTRODUCTION: In Japan and Korea, concerns have been raised about both declining physical fitness among children and the polarization of exercise habits. The gap between children who regularly engage in physical activities and those who rarely do so is widening, a trend that becomes apparent from early childhood. While exercise habits of preschool children in both countries likely differ due to variations in childcare systems and lifestyle patterns, few studies have compared the relationship between exercise habit polarization and physical fitness. Examining this relationship across both countries could provide important insights for establishing effective exercise support measures. This study aimed to investigate the actual conditions of exercise habit polarization among preschool children in both countries and clarify its relationship with physical fitness. METHODS: The subjects were 232 Japanese children (118 boys, 114 girls, mean age 4.12±0.8 years) and 245 Korean children (120 boys, 125 girls, mean age 3.93±0.8 years) aged 3-5 years. Parents completed questionnaires about their childrens regular exercise activities and types of exercise. Physical fitness was assessed using the MKS Preschool Physical Fitness Test, which included six items: 25m sprint, standing long jump, tennis ball throw, continuous jumping, body support duration, and ball catching. Based on the MKS test evaluation criteria, average scores were calculated and classified into three groups (high, average, low) for analysis with exercise habits. RESULTS: Results showed that in Japan, 54.2% of 3-year-olds, 59.0% of 4-year-olds, and 78.6% of 5-year-olds regularly exercised (p<0.01). In Korea, 6.9% of 3-year-olds, 24.1% of 4-year-olds, and 37.5% of 5-year-olds regularly exercised (p<0.001). The most common activities in Japan were swimming, gymnastics, and sports club activities, while in Korea, they were Taekwondo and swimming. Regarding the relationship between exercise habits and physical fitness items, Japanese children showed significant correlations in five test items: 25m sprint (p<0.01), tennis ball throw (p<0.001), continuous jumping (p<0.05), body support duration (p<0.01), and standing long jump (p<0.01). Children who exercised regularly demonstrated higher fitness scores in all categories except ball catching. In Korea, only the standing long jump showed a significant correlation with exercise habits (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: While the proportion of Japanese children with exercise habits increased markedly with age, Korean children showed a lower overall rate of regular exercise, with less than 40% participating even at age 5. The significantly higher physical fitness scores among children with regular exercise habits suggest that regular physical activity has broad effects on the development of basic motor skills during early childhood. Further longitudinal studies considering qualitative differences in exercise habits and cultural-social backgrounds are needed to verify these effects.
Read CV Kim mijinECSS Paris 2023: CP-MH18