Active School Breaks and Students' Attention: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Education
• Cognitive Psychology
• Sports Science

Background:

• School physical activity breaks are promoted to enhance student learning.
• Existing evidence on the impact of active breaks on academic-related cognitive outcomes is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize literature on the effects of active school breaks on students' attention.
• To conduct meta-analyses on objective attentional outcomes from eligible studies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across five databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science) on January 12th, 2021.
• Inclusion of intervention studies with counterbalanced cross-over or parallel-groups designs and a control group.
• Qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis of attentional outcomes (accuracy, concentration, inhibition, sustained attention).

Main Results:

• Some positive acute and chronic effects of active breaks on attentional outcomes were observed, particularly for selective attention.
• However, most findings were not statistically significant, indicating limited conclusive evidence.
• The small number and heterogeneity of study designs were identified as primary limitations.

Conclusions:

• The current evidence does not definitively confirm positive effects of active breaks on student attention.
• Active school breaks do not appear to negatively impact students' attention.
• The influence of break intensity and leadership requires further investigation.