Type and intensity of physical activity and their sex-specific relation with classroom behaviour in preadolescent children.

Authors

Melanie Berger, Toru Ishihara, Keita Kamijo, Markus Gerber, Sebastian Ludyga

Published in

The British journal of educational psychology. Aug 24, 2026. Epub Aug 24, 2026.

Abstract

On-task behaviour in the classroom, which partly relies on inhibitory control, contributes to academic achievement. Physical activity has much potential to facilitate on-task behaviour due to its positive association with inhibitory control. However, it remains unclear how the association between physical activity and on-task behaviour is influenced by its type and intensity as well as the sex of participants.
To investigate sex-specific associations of type and intensity of physical activity engagement and on-task behaviour as well as its mediation by inhibitory control.
Cross-sectional study including 142 participants (47.2% boys) with a mean age of 11.6 years recruited from local schools.
Classroom behaviour was video-recorded, with a 6-min segment coded for on-task behaviour. Using a 7-day recall protocol, participants reported type and intensity of physical activity. Additionally, inhibitory control was assessed using a computerized Flanker task.
While path analyses revealed no associations between physical activity intensity, inhibitory control and on-task behaviour, there was a sex-specific association with the type of physical activity. More frequent on-task behaviour was associated with greater participation in open-skill sports in boys (β = .27, p < .05) and more engagement in closed-skill sports in girls (β = .25, p = .05). However, this association was not mediated by inhibitory control.
The type rather than intensity of physical activity seems to be associated with favourable classroom behaviour. Sex-specific relations between open- and closed-skill sports and on-task behaviour highlight the need for interventions tailored specifically to girls and boys.

PMID:
42638307
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Aug 2026.

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