Playful Physical Activity for Executive Functions and School Readiness in Preschool Children (PPA-EF-SR)
Effects of a Cognitively Enriched Playful Physical Activity Program on Executive Functions and School Readiness in Preschool Children
Executive functions, such as attention, inhibition, working memory, and planning, are important for early learning and school readiness in preschool children. This completed randomized controlled trial evaluated whether an 8-week cognitively enriched playful physical activity program could support executive functions and school readiness in preschool children compared with the regular physical education curriculum.
Preschool children were assigned to either a playful physical activity intervention group or a control group receiving conventional physical education. The intervention included structured movement-based games designed to combine physical activity with cognitive challenges, including response inhibition, working memory, planning, rule following, and cooperative problem solving. Outcomes included measures of executive functions and school readiness domains, including mathematical, linguistic, and social competence.
研究概览
地位
详细说明
This study was designed as a completed, two-arm randomized controlled trial conducted in preschool children. The purpose of the study was to examine whether a cognitively enriched playful physical activity program could improve executive functions and school readiness compared with the regular physical education curriculum.
The experimental intervention consisted of an 8-week Playful Physical Activities program. The program included structured movement games designed to engage both motor and cognitive processes. Activities targeted gross and fine motor skills while incorporating executive-function demands such as selective attention, inhibitory control, working memory, planning, rule maintenance, and cooperative problem solving. Sessions included playful tasks related to language, mathematics, and social interaction, with the aim of supporting both cognitive development and school readiness in an age-appropriate educational setting.
Children in the control group continued to receive the conventional physical education curriculum over the same intervention period. The control condition involved regular age-appropriate physical education activities without the systematic integration of structured executive-function challenges or cognitive-motor dual-task components.
Participants were preschool children aged approximately 55 to 64 months. Eligible children were enrolled in participating preschool settings and were able to take part in physical activity sessions. Children with motor or mental disorders that could interfere with participation or outcome assessment were excluded.
The primary focus of the study was school readiness, including mathematical, linguistic, and social competence. Secondary outcomes included executive-function measures related to attention, inhibition, visuospatial memory, and planning/visuospatial organization. Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention period.
The study was conducted in accordance with ethical approval from the Local Research Ethics Committee at the High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Ksar Said. The study has been completed.
研究类型
注册 (实际的)
阶段
- 不适用
联系人和位置
学习地点
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Tunis、突尼斯、1003
- Physical Activity, Sport and Health Research Unit UR18JS01, National Observatory of Sport
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参与标准
资格标准
适合学习的年龄
- 孩子
接受健康志愿者
描述
Inclusion Criteria:
- Preschool children aged 55 to 64 months.
- Enrollment in one of the participating preschools.
- Ability to participate in age-appropriate physical activity sessions.
- Written informed consent provided by parents or legal guardians.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Motor or intellectual disabilities that could prevent participation in physical activity sessions.
- Diagnosed neurological, psychiatric, or developmental disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder.
- Uncorrected visual or auditory impairments that could affect test performance.
- Use of medication known to affect the central nervous system.
- Absence from post-intervention testing or failure to complete the study procedures.
学习计划
研究是如何设计的？
设计细节
- 主要用途：预防
- 分配：随机化
- 介入模型：并行分配
- 屏蔽：单身的
武器和干预
参与者组/臂 |
干预/治疗 |
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实验性的：Playful Physical Activities Intervention
Preschool children assigned to this group received the 8-week Playful Physical Activities intervention.
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The 8-week Playful Physical Activities intervention consisted of structured movement-based games integrating executive function challenges, including response inhibition, working memory, attention, planning, and cooperative problem-solving.
Sessions were delivered three times per week for 60 minutes per session.
其他名称：
The control intervention consisted of the regular physical education curriculum delivered for 8 weeks, three times per week for 60 minutes per session.
Sessions included traditional age-appropriate physical education activities without systematically embedded cognitive-motor executive function challenges.
其他名称：
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有源比较器：Regular Physical Education Curriculum
Preschool children assigned to this group received the regular physical education curriculum for 8 weeks.
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The 8-week Playful Physical Activities intervention consisted of structured movement-based games integrating executive function challenges, including response inhibition, working memory, attention, planning, and cooperative problem-solving.
Sessions were delivered three times per week for 60 minutes per session.
其他名称：
The control intervention consisted of the regular physical education curriculum delivered for 8 weeks, three times per week for 60 minutes per session.
Sessions included traditional age-appropriate physical education activities without systematically embedded cognitive-motor executive function challenges.
其他名称：
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研究衡量的是什么？
主要结果指标
结果测量 |
措施说明 |
大体时间 |
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Change in School Readiness Scores From Baseline to Post-intervention
大体时间：Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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School readiness was assessed using mathematical competence, linguistic competence, and social competence scores.
Higher scores indicated better school readiness.
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Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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次要结果测量
结果测量 |
措施说明 |
大体时间 |
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Change in Go/No-Go Task Error Rate From Baseline to Post-intervention
大体时间：Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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Inhibitory control was assessed using the Go/No-Go task.
The outcome was the number of commission errors, with lower scores indicating better inhibitory control.
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Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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Change in Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised Immediate Recall Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
大体时间：Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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Visuospatial memory was assessed using the BVMT-R immediate recall raw score.
Higher scores indicated better visuospatial memory performance.
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Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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Change in Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised Delayed Recall Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
大体时间：Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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Delayed visuospatial recall was assessed using the BVMT-R delayed recall raw score.
Higher scores indicated better delayed recall performance.
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Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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Change in Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test Copy Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
大体时间：Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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Visuospatial organization and planning were assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test copy score.
Higher scores indicated better visuospatial planning and organization.
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Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
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合作者和调查者
研究记录日期
研究主要日期
学习开始 (实际的)
初级完成 (实际的)
研究完成 (实际的)
研究注册日期
首次提交
首先提交符合 QC 标准的
首次发布 (实际的)
研究记录更新
最后更新发布 (实际的)
上次提交的符合 QC 标准的更新
最后验证
更多信息
与本研究相关的术语
关键字
其他研究编号
- PPA-EF-SR-2025
- 41034 (注册表标识符：Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR); official trial number pending)
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