Freitas, Ashley

Factors Affecting Successful Implementation of Daily Physical Activity in the Classroom

Keywords: daily physical activity, factors, implementation, effective strategies

Abstract

As childhood obesity rates are continually raising, Canadian physical education is currently experiencing challenging times. Physical education is generally thought of as the primary means of providing students with physical activity in the school environment. Yet, this does not appear to be enough. As a result, the Ontario ministry of education implemented a policy regarding daily physical activity (DPA) as a potential way to promote physical health in schools. However, because many classroom teachers are responsible for implementing DPA, many have mixed feelings regarding its value and importance. This qualitative research study explores factors affecting implementation of DPA in the classroom and examines how two teachers successfully incorporate it into their classroom routines. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with two exemplary classroom teachers from different school boards. Analysis of both the related literature and the collected data yielded findings including: teachers’ perceptions of the value and benefits of incorporating DPA practices; how to successfully incorporate a DPA program into a classroom environment; issues associated with implementing DPA, and effective strategies that support teachers in incorporating DPA into their classrooms.