Girls in Playworks schools were less likely to be sedentary and more likely to engage in jumping, tag, and playground games during recess¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2015 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Recess observations showed girls in the treatment group were less likely than controls to be sedentary and more likely to engage in jumping, tag, and playground games. → Martha Bleeker 2015

Evidence¶

Martha Bleeker 2015¶

Martha Bleeker, Nicholas Beyler, Susanne James-Burdumy, Jane Fortson. (2015). The Impact of Playworks on Boys' and Girls' Physical Activity During Recess. Journal of School Health, vol. 85, no. 3. https://www.mathematica.org/publications/the-impact-of-playworks-on-boys-and-girls-physical-activity-during-recess

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Observational recess data collected alongside accelerometer measurement in the 29-school randomized trial. The article reports significant impacts on girls' activity types, with treatment girls less sedentary and more often jumping, playing tag, and playing playground games; no effect sizes are printed.

"A significant impact was also found on the types of activities in which girls engaged during recess; girls in the treatment group were less likely than those in the control group to be sedentary and more likely to engage in jumping, tag, and playground games."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Gender — moderator: an instructional effect differs by group

Related Claims¶

• Playworks showed significant impact on some measures of girls' physical activity but no significant impact on measures of boys' physical activity — a broader claim this one bears on
• Girls in Playworks schools had significantly higher accelerometer intensity counts and spent more time in vigorous physical activity than girls in control schools — a broader claim this one bears on
• In a randomized controlled trial, children in Playworks schools spent more time in vigorous physical activity at recess than students at non-Playworks schools, and more teachers in Playworks schools reported students engaged in intense recess activity — related
• Teachers in Playworks schools reported significantly better student behavior at recess and readiness for class — related
• British children spend more daily time on videogames while Turkish children spend more on traditional games — related
• Pokémon Go increases physical activity for otherwise sedentary players, but gains do not persist after play ends and do not exceed active non-players — related
• No significant accelerometer-based differences in physical activity were found for boys in Playworks schools compared with control schools — related