Project Description
The main objective of the ACTIBESE project is to determine the school, interpersonal and personal factors that influence the active behavior of schoolchildren, using the socioecological theory as a model of interaction in physical education and health. The methodology consists of a cross-sectional study and intervention in twelve schools in Viña del Mar, Los Andes and Temuco. In the cross-sectional study, 405 schoolchildren, 405 parents and 18 teachers will participate. In the intervention, a five-month continuous training will be applied to teachers to improve their teaching style and promote self-education.
Three groups of factors will be evaluated: 1) school factors, such as teaching style and curriculum characteristics, 2) interpersonal factors, including sociodemographic characteristics, parental physical activity, and parent and peer support, and 3) personal factors, such as physical activity, motivation in physical education, and perceptions of the environment. The strongest associations between these factors and active behavior of schoolchildren will be sought. The intervention will include tests, interventions and follow-ups, quantitatively assessed with accelerometry and pedometry.
It is expected to obtain variables associated with active behavior in the cross-sectional phase and to strengthen teaching competencies in the intervention. It is anticipated that improvement strategies, based on school, interpersonal and personal factors, will improve school behavior.
Objectives and Hypothesis
General Objective: To determine the personal, interpersonal and environmental factors that influence the active behavior of schoolchildren, considering the socioecological theory as a model of interaction at school and in physical education and health classes.
General Hypothesis: Personal and interpersonal factors have a more positive influence on the active behavior of schoolchildren than environmental factors at school and in physical education and health classes.
Specific objectives and hypotheses in the "cross-sectional study"
a) Specific Objective 1: To determine whether environmental factors are associated with active behavior in and out of school in Chilean schoolchildren according to gender and age group.
b) Specific Objective 2: To establish the personal and interpersonal factors that mediate or moderate the interaction between physical education and health class and active behavior in and out of school in Chilean schoolchildren according to gender and age group.
a) Specific Hypothesis 1: Environmental factors such as the built environment are associated with active behavior in and out of school in Chilean schoolchildren according to gender and age group.
b) Specific Hypothesis 2: Interpersonal factors mediate or moderate the interaction between physical education and health class and active behavior in and out of school in Chilean schoolchildren according to gender and age group to a greater extent than personal factors.
Specific objectives and hypotheses in the "intervention study".
a) Specific Objective 1: To determine the effect of an educational intervention on teachers to improve participation in physical education and health class, and to increase active behavior in schoolchildren.
b) Specific Objective 2: To determine the effect of the educational intervention on personal and interpersonal factors in schoolchildren through a socioecological model.
a) Specific Hypothesis 1: An educational intervention in the socioecological model in teachers could improve participation in physical education and health classes and increase the active behavior of schoolchildren.
b) Specific Hypothesis 2: An educational intervention on personal and interpersonal factors in schoolchildren through a socioecological model can improve active behavior in schoolchildren.
Steps
Cross-sectional Study
This study will determine the school factors associated with active behavior in schoolchildren. Among these teaching styles are teacher training, the perception of the Physical Education teacher, and the characteristics of the school and curriculum (school spaces built for play, infrastructure, recess, time dedicated and weekly frequency of Physical Education, contents, themes, etc.). This information will be obtained through qualitative questionnaires given to Physical Education and Health teachers (see Annex 1). In addition, the association between social factors and active behavior of schoolchildren will be studied. Mediation or moderation of the effect of sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, parental support and peer support will be carried out. This will be determined by standardized parent questionnaires. In addition, personal factors (e.g., motivation for PE, perception of PE, perception of the built environment and barriers to physical activity) will be assessed with qualitative instruments (questionnaires). Active behavioral outcomes of schoolchildren will be assessed with quantitative methods (accelerometry and pedometry). Figure 2 shows the variables, factors and possible inputs and outcomes of the cross-sectional study. This will be carried out in the first year of the project according to the above description.
Intervention Study
This intervention study for teachers will include a 5-month continuing education program that will improve teaching style and promote teacher training.
It will also strengthen teaching competencies to create teacher improvement strategies that affect Physical Education and Health (PEaH), interpersonal and personal factors. This is expected to improve the active behavior (AB) of schoolchildren, even when they are not directly influenced. The program will be designed according to the results of the cross-sectional study. The strongest associations found between the three proposed factors (school, interpersonal and personal) and the AB of schoolchildren will be sought. In addition, the characteristics of the schools and the possibilities of time and physical spaces available will be taken into account. This information will be recorded by means of questionnaires and validated interviews at pretest, post-test 1 and after post-test 2 follow-up.
The intervention will have three parts:
- Test application: This consists of applying the assessment instruments to teachers (NSTSS, PMQ-PE, interviews and focus groups) and schoolchildren (YAP questionnaire, PACO questionnaire, accelerometry, pedometry and barriers), both pretest and post-test 1, to the intervention and control groups. In addition, instruments for parents (on interpersonal factors) will be applied. Pretest and post-test 1 correspond to the evaluation of the intervention process. Post-test 2 will evaluate the effect of the intervention through the follow-up process.
- Intervention: The “teacher training” program consists of weekly class sessions aimed at teachers, where topics to improve educational practices in physical education classes will be discussed, such as teaching strategies, teaching styles (productive style), recommendations for physical activity for children and the inclusion of the socio-ecological model, incorporating all actors in the school educational environment. In addition, strategies to stimulate self-determination theory (SDT) will be incorporated. This activity will be conducted in person; however, if the pandemic does not permit, it will be changed to an online format. In “Application of Learning,” teachers are required to apply the knowledge gained in teacher training in one of their choice on a weekly frequency of one or two days. The application will be carried out during one semester (four months). To evaluate this implementation, pre- and post-tests will be conducted as defined in the methodology. In addition, teachers will keep a “field notebook” which will consist of a record of activities that go wrong or complex situations that require a solution when the Teacher Training is implemented in the chosen courses.Parallel to the problem, a solution or activity should be proposed to solve the difficulty that has arisen. In addition, in the Teacher Training classes, teachers will be asked to attend various “workshops” on topics associated with active behavior and physical education as a way to diversify learning. To strengthen the implementation process of these lessons, at least two mentoring sessions will be presented to the Physical Education and Health classes to resolve doubts, observe the implementation of the changes and understand the reality faced by teachers. This activity will be conducted in person; however, if the pandemic prohibits in-person meetings, it will be changed to an online format. In addition, regular “online meetings” will be established for teachers to resolve questions and establish approaches, share ideas and concerns, and jointly resolve difficulties imposed on school work or how to implement different strategies learned in teacher training. This activity will take place every two weeks.
- Follow-up: Teaching materials will be given to teachers to be applied during classes. In addition, there will be an observational follow-up of the process, a field notebook will be used and two evaluations of the process will be carried out every 6 weeks from post-test 1 through “tutoring”. In addition, a support web page will be created with help materials, and an application will be created for teachers and schoolchildren that will allow us to monitor the intervention.
Figure 2. Activities to be included in the intervention and follow-up.
Metodology
Participants and sample selection
ACTIBESE project participants come from two cities in the Valparaíso Region (Viña del Mar and Los Andes) and one city in the Araucanía Region (Temuco). These cities were selected for the convenience of the researchers. Public and private schools will be included, since, in the Chilean context, schoolchildren are divided into these two groups. The sample includes schoolchildren from rural and urban areas as well as from different social contexts. A total of 152 schools (public and private) were identified, 84 schools in Viña del Mar (n=25,176), 19 schools in Los Andes (n=7,401), and 49 schools in Temuco (n=21,647).
(https://reportescomunales.bcn.cl/). The size of the representative sample of students for the cross-sectional study will be calculated at 95% confidence, 5% error and 50% heterogeneity. As a result, of the 54,224 students enrolled in the cross-sectional study, a total representativeness of n=382 schoolchildren will be obtained through clusters, n=177 in Viña del Mar, n=52 in Los Andes and n=153 in Temuco. The participation of three schools in each city (9 schools), three classes in each school (15 students in each class) and two teachers in each school was estimated. In summary, the sample is expected to reach a total of 405 schoolchildren and 18 teachers. For the study, six schools (one intervention and one control school per city), 12 teachers and 180 schoolchildren will be randomized. A sample loss of 20% will be considered. The specific samples are shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Plan flow chart for cross-sectional and intervention studies.
Inclusion Criteria
The inclusion criteria for schools will be that the school must have at least two Physical Education and Health (PEaH) classes per grade. Each class must include at least 15 participating schoolchildren. There must be at least 15 informed consent forms per class from schoolchildren and 15 from parents. In addition, there must be at least 2 Physical Education and Health (PEaH) teachers. In addition, teachers must sign informed consent forms. In addition, teachers, schoolchildren and parents cannot participate in other intervention methods to promote physical activity.
Ethical Aspects
Once authorization is received from the respective schools, teachers and parents must sign an informed consent form for participation. Similarly, students will sign an informed consent form describing the characteristics of the study, the objectives and the activities to be performed. The project will be developed following the Declaration of Helsinki and with the approval of the Bioethics Committee of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso.
Study Design
An invitation to participate in the ACTIBESE project will be sent to the directors of the participating schools. Once the schools agree to participate and are selected, a meeting will be held with the representative of the administrative management authorities and teachers to explain in detail the objectives and stages of the project. Subsequently, an informative meeting will be held with parents and schoolchildren on the same terms. The groups will be divided by age: children from grades 3-6 of elementary school (8 to 11 years old) and adolescents from grade 7 of elementary school to grade 2 of secondary school (12 to 16 years old). The project will consist of a cross-sectional study and an intervention study.
