Impact of a pedometer-based goal-setting intervention on children’s motivation, motor competence, and physical activity in physical education
- 22 February 2017
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy
- Vol. 23 (1), 54-65
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2017.1341475
Abstract
Background: School physical education (PE) programs provide a prime environment for interventions that attempt to develop school-aged children’s motor competence and overall physical fitness, while also stimulating competence motivation to engage in physical activity during childhood. It is generally recognized that a pedometer-based intervention strategy combined with a goal-setting strategy may be effective in increasing physical activity participation among school-aged children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an 8-week pedometer-based goal-setting intervention on children’s motivation in PE, motor competence, and physical activity. Methods: A pretest–posttest comparison group design was used with the 8-week intervention (3 days/week for 24 sessions). Participants were 273 (boys = 136, girls = 137) students recruited from 3 elementary schools in the US. Classes in each school were randomly allocated to three experimental conditions: (1) an intervention group with a personalized pedometer weekly target to reach in their PE class (N = 110), (2) an intervention group with the fixed pedometer target range to reach in each PE class based on the recommended criteria (N = 90), or (3) a control group without intervention (N = 73). Analysis/results: The factorial repeated measures MANOVA indicated significant multivariate effects for the group [F(6, 528) = 12.954, p < .001]. Post hoc analyzes showed that both experimental groups had significantly higher expectancy-value beliefs, motor competence, and physical activity compared to the control group (p < .001). Conclusions: Health practitioners should be aware that goal-directed action can contribute to school students’ PE-related achievement motivation, motor competence, and achieving the recommended 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.Keywords
This publication has 44 references indexed in Scilit:
- Steps/day translation of the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity guideline for children and adolescentsInternational Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2013
- Getting the fundamentals of movement: a meta‐analysis of the effectiveness of motor skill interventions in childrenChild: Care, Health and Development, 2011
- Stepping toward Physical Activity Requirements: Integrating Pedometers into Early Childhood SettingsEarly Childhood Education Journal, 2010
- Why Do Pedometers Work?Sports Medicine, 2009
- Effect of Pedometer-Based Physical Activity InterventionsResearch Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 2009
- A systematic review of studies using pedometers to promote physical activity among youthPreventive Medicine, 2009
- National Physical Education StandardsResearch Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 2008
- Comparison of Accelerometer and Pedometer Measures of Physical Activity in Boys and Girls, Ages 8–10 YearsResearch Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 2005
- Health-enhancing physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescentsJournal of Sports Sciences, 2004
- Children's Motivation in Elementary Physical Education: A Longitudinal StudyResearch Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 2004