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Balasekaran, Govindasamy
Brain Breaks® physical activity solutions in the classroom and on attitudes toward physical activity: A randomized controlled trial among primary students from eight countries
2020, Mok, Magdalena Mo Ching, Chin, Ming-Kai, Korcz, Agata, Popeska, Biljana, Edginton, Christopher R., Uzunoz, Fatma Sacli, Podnar, Hrvoje, Coetzee, Dané, Georgescu, Luminita, Emeljanovas, Arunas, Pasic, Milan, Balasekaran, Govindasamy, Anderson, Elizabeth, Durstine, J. Larry
Classroom-based physical activity (PA) interventions have received considerable attention due to improvements seen in academic achievement, classroom behaviors, and attitude toward PA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Brain Breaks® Physical Activity Solutions in changing children’s attitudes toward PA. Students (N = 3036) aged 8–11 years from schools in Croatia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, and Turkey were randomly assigned to either a control or an experimental group. The experimental group received Brain Breaks® videos during classroom sessions throughout the four months of intervention. Student attitudes toward PA were measured using the Attitudes toward Physical Activity Scale (APAS) before and after the intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated a time interaction effect for all APAS variables except fitness. Time-by-group interaction effects with different effect sizes were found for most APAS variables, with the greatest gain effect noted in the experimental group for self-efficacy, followed by learning from the videos concerning PA benefits, exercise importance, and enjoyment from engaging in PA. This study provides evidence supporting Brain Breaks® in terms of learning experience, attitudes towards PA, and personal motivation. Using exercise videos is recommended as an interactive, technology-based PA solution that can be easily integrated into the school setting.
A systematic review on the effectiveness of brain-breaks® video programming on academic performance and physical activity of school children
2024, Kuan, Garry, Chin, Ming-Kai, Kueh, Yee Cheng, Abdulwali Sabo, Mok, Magdalena Mo Ching, Balasekaran, Govindasamy, Chang, Yu-Kai, Edginton, Christopher R, Culpan, Ian, Popeska, Biljana, Durstine, J. Larry
Purpose: This study aimed to complete a systematic review of the effect of the Brain Breaks® video program on academic performance and health-related outcomes among schoolchildren.
Methods: A literature search was performed using Scopus, PubMed, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases to identify published manuscripts from December 2017 to December 2023. Dissertations, theses, monographs, and commentaries were excluded from this review.
Results: A total of 15 studies were included in the review. Most studies applied quasi-experimental design and were conducted in Asia and Europe with children. Nine of these studies found that Brain Breaks® improved students' attitudes toward physical activity (PA), and two found that it improved their PA levels. The other studies found that Brain Breaks® improved students' academic performance, perceived pros and cons of PA, transtheoretical model (TTM) constructs, motivation to participate in PA, cognitive function, muscle strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility, as well as the fitness knowledge test and the Fitnessgram test battery results.
Conclusion: It is thought that the Brain Breaks® web-based online video program has the potential to improve the academic performance and health-related physical fitness of school children
Using Brain-Breaks® as a technology tool to increase attitude towards physical activity among students in Singapore
2021, Balasekaran, Govindasamy, Ahmad Arif Ibrahim, Ng, Yew Cheo, Phua, Kia Wang, Kuan, Garry, Popeska, Biljana, Chin, Ming-Kai, Mok, Magdalena Mo Ching, Edginton, Christopher R., Culpan, Ian, Durstine, J. Larry
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of classroom-based Brain Breaks® Physical Activity Solution in Southeast Asia Singaporean primary school students and their attitude towards physical activity (PA) over a ten-week intervention. A total of 113 participants (8-11 years old) were randomly assigned to either an experimental (EG) or a control group (CG), with six classes to each group; the Brain Breaks® group (EG: six classes) and the Control group (CG: six classes). All EG members participated in a Brain Breaks® video intervention (three-five min) during academic classes and the CG continued their lessons as per normal. The student's attitudes towards PA in both research conditions were evaluated using the self-reported Attitudes toward Physical Activity Scale (APAS), applied before and after intervention. The effects of the intervention on APAS scores were analysed using a mixed model analysis of variance with Time as within-subject and Group as between-subject factors. The analysis revealed evidence in support of the positive effect of classroom video interventions such as Brain Breaks® on student's attitudes toward benefits, importance, learning, self-efficacy, fun, fitness, and trying to do their personal best in PA. The Brain Breaks® intervention provided a positive significant impact on students in Singapore. This study also revealed that interactive technology tools implemented into the school curriculum benefit students in terms of health and education.