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Table 1 Study designs, characteristics and main results

From: Effects of school-based physical activity on mathematics performance in children: a systematic review

Author and country

Design

Intervention

n

Age (y) or grade

Duration

Type of PA

Achievement Measure(s)

Achievement Outcome(s)

Main Result

Long-term Interventions

 Beck et al. (2016), Denmark

Cluster RCT

Motor-enriched mathematics lessons 1) Fine motor math (FMM) 2) Gross motor math (GMM)

165

7.5

6 weeks

Integrated/ specific movement

Standardised Danish test; arithmetic and geometry

GMM improved from T0 to T1. At T2 no significant differences between groups

0

 Da Cruz (2017), USA

Group randomised trial

Three 60 min MVPA activities/ week

167

12.1

17 weeks

After school PA

Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement III; math fluency and math applied problems

Intervention group had significantly higher math fluency performance but not math applied problems than the control group

+/0

 Davis et al. (2011), USA

RCT

After school exercise program 5d/week: 1) Low-dose, 20 mins of PA 2) High-dose, 40 mins of PA

171

9.3

13 weeks

After school PE

Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement III, broad mathematics clusters

Significant benefit of exercise on mathematics achievement

+

 Donnelly et al. (2009), USA

Cluster RCT

PA across the curriculum 90 mins weekly during academic lessons

203

7–8

3 years

Integrated PA

Standardised Wechsler Individual Achievement Test

Significant improvement in intervention group math scores compared to the control schools

+

 Donnelly et al. (2017), USA

Cluster RCT

55 min/week of PA across curriculum (target 100 min), two 10-min lessons per day

584

8.1

3 years

Integrated PA

Standardised Wechsler Individual Achievement Test

No significant impact of intervention on math achievement

0

 Elofsson et al. (2018), Sweden

Pre-test vs post-test mixed factorial design

Two 30 mins PA sessions/week: Math in action (MIA) group and Common numerical activities (CNA). Control group.

53

5.8

3 weeks

Integrated PA

Verbal arithmetic test

MIA -group developed significantly more than students in control group with respect to counting forward, naming numbers, number line estimation, verbal addition and subtraction

+

 Erwin et al. (2012), USA

Quasi-experimental study

Daily 20 min PA breaks with math content in class.

29

8.9

20 weeks

PA breaks with math content

Curriculum based math fluency 1 min test and stadardised tests

Intervention students had significantly higher curriculum based math scores than the controls but not standardised tests or grades

+

 Fedewa et al. (2015), USA

Cluster RCT

PA breaks throughout the day, 5 min at once, 20 min/day

460

grades 3–5

8 months

PA breaks with math content

National standardised Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)

Treatment classrooms experienced larger gains in mathematics achievement

+

 Hraste et al. (2018), Croatia

RCT

4 x PA integrated into 45 min mathematics/geometry lessons

36

10.4

1 week

Integrated PA

A standard test for assessing mathematical knowledge and a geometry test

Experimental group was significantly more successful in the geometry tests than the control group

+

 Gao et al. (2013), USA

Crossover design

30 min of aerobic activities or exergaming (dance) three times a week

208

10–12

2 years

PE lessons

Math scores for the Utah Criterion-Referenced Test

Children in PA intervention showed more improvement on math scores in year 1 and 2 than comparison groups

+

 Katz et al. (2010), USA

Intervention

Multiple type structured PA breaks throughout the school day (> 30 mins/day)

1214

7–9

8 months

PA break in class

Missouri Academic Peformance (MAP) scores

No significant differences between intervention and control groups in MAP scores of mathematics performance

0

 Lubans et al. (2018) Australia

Cluster RCT

Maximising students’ MVPA during PE classes through PE teacher in-service training

1173

12.9

7 months

Higher intensity PE lessons

National Assessment Program -Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN): understanding, fluency, problem solving, and reasoning in numeracy

A small to medium effect on mathematics performance. The effect was equal to approximately one quarter of the increase in typical age-level mathematics performance.

+

 Mavilidi et al. (2018), Australia

Cluster RCT

15 min learning session once per week. Four intervention groups: 1) PA related to the learning tasks, 2) observation of peers’ PA 3) PA unrelated to the learning task 4) control condition

120

4.7

4 weeks

Integrated PA + PA breaks

Counting, number line estimation, block counting, numerical magnitude, comparison, numerical identification

The performing integrated PA condition performed significantly better than the other conditions, with the largest effect on number line estimation and numerical magnitude comparison

+

 Mead et al. (2016), USA

Pretest–posttest design

1) Two 5-min PA breaks during each math period (ACTB), 2) Students always sat on stability balls (STAB)

81

11–12

1 year

Stability ball and PA break

Standards-based Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) and Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)

PA breaks were not effective in improving math scores but use of stability balls was effective

0

 Mullender-Wijnsma et al. (2015), Netherlands

Quasi-experimental design

Physically active academic lessons 3x week. Each lesson had 10–15 min math problems and 10–15 min language problems

228

8.1

21 weeks

Integrated PA

Tempo Test Rekenen (Speed arithmetic test)

3rd grade intervention group scored significantly higher on mathematics compared to the controls while the 2nd grade group scored significantly lower than the controls

+/−

 Mullender-Wijnsma et al. (2016), Netherlands

Cluster RCT

Physically active academic lessons 3x week. Each lesson had 10–15 min math problems and 10–15 min language problems

499

8.1

2 yrs. (22wk/year)

Integrated PA

Two standardised math tests (speed and general math skills)

Intervention group had significantly greater gains in mathematics speed test and general mathematics

+

 Resaland et al. (2016), Norway

Cluster RCT

90 min/week physically active lessons (30 min math), 5 min/day PA breaks, 10 min/day PA homework

1129

10

7 months

Integrated PA + PA breaks+ PA homework

Standardised Norwegian national tests

No significant intervention effect

0

 Resaland et al. (2018), Norway

Cluster RCT

90 min/week physically active lessons (30 min math), 5 min/day PA breaks, 10 min/day PA homework

1129

10

7 months

Integrated PA + PA breaks+ PA homework

Standardised Norwegian national tests

Boys and girls in the low performing tertile had a beneficial trend. Middle and high performing girls responded with negative trends.

0

 Riley et al. (2016), Australia

RCT

Movement based learning in mathematics 3 × 60 min/week.

240

11

6 weeks

Integrated PA

Standardised mathematics progressive achievement test

No significant effect on mathematical performance

0

 Sallis et al. (1999), USA

Experimental design

Three days/week, 30 min lessons of 1) Specialist-taught program 2) Trained classroom teacher taught program

754

9

2 years

Extra PE lessons

Norm-referenced Metropolitan achievement test

More time in PE did not have harmful effects on math achievement test scores

0

 Sjöwall et al. (2017), Sweden

Intervention

180 min extra PA/ week

470

6–13

2 years

Extra PA activities

Arithmetic test: One min addition and subtraction

No significant effects were found for arithmetic

0

 Snyder et al. (2017), USA

Intervention

Students active for at least 50% of the 70-min mathematics lesson

24

3rd grade

5 weeks

Integrated PA

Common Summative Assessment (CSA)

No statistically significant differences between the two classrooms

0

 Tarp et al. (2016), Denmark

Cluster RCT

60 min daily PA a) PA integrated into academic subjects b) Recess PA activities C) PA homework daily D) active transportation

632

12–13

20 weeks

Integrated + recess PA + PA homework + active transportation

Custom made grade specific mathematics tests: arithmetic, algebra, problem-solving and geometry

No significant effect of the intervention on mathematics skills

0

 Watson et al. (2018,) Australia

Cluster RCT

3 × 5 min active breaks in classroom daily, five times a week

312

9.1

6 weeks

PA break in class

Westwood one minute test on basic number facts (subtraction subtest)

No intervention effect on mathematics

0

 Vetter et al. (2018), Australia

Randomized crossover trial

Three 20 min sessions/week, physically active learning of numeracy skill of times Tables (TT).

85

9.8

6 weeks

Integrated PA

Custom made curriculum based TT test and general standardised assessment from the Australian National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

No significant difference in the TT test between PA and control conditions. Significantly greater improvement in general numeracy for PA group than control group

0/+

Acute Effects

 Harveson et al. (2018), USA

Randomized crossover design

a) AE, 30 min aerobic exercise, b) RE, 30 min resistance exercise, c) NE, no exercise.

91

15.9

Three separate sessions separated by 7 days each

PA session before test

Battery of four 10-question math tests taken from New York State Testing Program exams

Acute RE and AE did not significantly improve scores on a mathematics test

0

 Howie et al. (2015), USA

Within-subjects randomised experiment

PA breaks: 1) 5 min 2) 10 min 3) 20 min breaks or 10 min sedentary lesson

96

10.7

One consistent time of day and week

PA breaks in class

One min math fluency test based on state curriculum standards

Math scores were higher after the 10-min and 20-min exercise breaks compared with the control, but not after the 5-min exercise break

+

 Phillips et al. (2015), USA

Within -subjects design, repeated measures design

20 min vigorous PA followed by a math test at 30 min and 45 min

72

14–15

One session

PA session before test

The New York State Testing Program: a) number sense and operations, b) algebra, c) geometry and d) measurement; 4 five-minute tests

Students achieved 11–22% higher math scores at 30 min post PA compared with other time points

+

 Thompson et al. (2016, USA)

Cluster RCT, between-groups design

Special 40 min PE class (min 20 of MVPA) directly before math test

791

10–11

One session

PA session before test

standardised Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress

No statistically significant differences in change in math results

0

 Travlos (2010), Greece

Experiment, within-subjects desing

Interval aerobic run (four sets of 4-min run) PE lesson-before math test.

48

13–15

Four days

PA session before test

Simple addition problems; two min-speed and accuracy test

Numerical speed and accuracy of students who attended the first, third, and fifth hour of the daily lessons increased, but there was a decrease in the sixth-hour lesson

+

  1. + = positive effect; 0 = no effect; − = negative effect. MVPA moderate to vigorous physical activity, PA physical activity, RCT randomized controlled trial, PE physical education