Table 2 Description of the outcomes measured according to McKay’s [25] implementation road map and the data sources each measure was obtained from

Dose delivered

The intended units of each component of physical activity that was delivered by classroom teachers

Teacher surveys: Teachers completed a daily logbook for one school week, whereby they recorded the minutes of physical activity they scheduled for each possible component of physical activity, including: sport, PE, energisers and integrated lessons.

Delivery of implementation strategies

 Reach

Proportion of intended schools

who participated in the intervention

Project records: We aimed to recruit 100 schools to participate in PACE. The number of schools that took part and withdraw from the program were recorded by project officers. The number of schools that were exposed to each of the implementation strategies was also recorded.

 Dose delivered

The intended units of each PACE strategy delivered by the PACE delivery team

Project records: Project officers recorded every project activity that took place for each individual school, including:

• Records of emails/phone-call/ in-person visits between project officers and school stakeholders, including completed checklists of required content

• Records of in-school champion workshops and teacher training, including completed fidelity checklists

 Adherence

The extent to which schools implemented each PACE strategy as prescribed (i.e., with fidelity)

Project records: For each school, project officers recorded whether schools implemented each strategy as per protocol. For example:

• If the school received the equipment pack, manuals, and other resources;

• If the principal provided verbal commitment to undertake program and responsibilities expected of them;

• If the in-school champion engaged in the communication with project officers (at least two occurrences of communication) to carry out tasks expected of them;

• If teachers accessed the online portal and viewed professional learning videos (via portal analytics); and

• If the in-school champion(s) attended a workshop and actively participated in activities

 Sustainability (Maintenance)

Whether behaviour change by teachers is maintained

Principal surveys: Principals indicated (yes/no) whether they would continue to:

• support teachers at their school to schedule physical activity required by the policy,

• utilise the role of the in-school champion, and

• provide PACE resources to teachers.

Teacher (in-school champion) surveys: Teachers indicated (yes/no):

• their willingness to continue with the PACE program and scheduling classroom physical activity, and

• whether they had a succession plan for supporting delivery of physical activity following changes in key roles (i.e., handover system if they were to leave the school).

Implementation determinants

 Acceptability

Perceptions among teachers that PACE strategies were agreeable, palatable or satisfactory

Teacher surveys: Teachers indicated their perceived level of acceptability of PACE strategies via six questions (detailed in Table 4) using a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree)

 Cost

Money spent on the delivery of PACE from the perspective of the health service delivery provider

Project records: Project officers retrospectively recorded the costs associated with the delivery of implementation strategies. These records were coded by strategy and entered into an economic spreadsheet (as per protocol for PACE economic evaluations (18)).