Assessing the Mediating Effect of Student Problem Behavior on the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Academic Achievement in the Intermediate Grades
Open Access
Author:
Pavelski, Aisha Irene
Graduate Program:
School Psychology
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
June 06, 2016
Committee Members:
James Clyde Diperna, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor James Clyde Diperna, Committee Chair/Co-Chair Shirley Andrea Woika, Committee Member Cristin Marie Hall, Committee Member Lori Anne Francis, Outside Member
The purpose of this study was to examine the possible mediating effect of student problem behavior on the longitudinal relationship between physical activity and academic achievement in both third and fifth grade. Data were drawn from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD; NICHD, 2010). Measures included physical activity accelerometer data, the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991), and the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-educational Battery – Revised (Woodcock & Johnson, 1989). Analyses of the longitudinal relationships among these variables did not indicate direct or indirect relationships between overall levels of student physical activity and academic achievement. Exploration of the inclusion of prior achievement in the model addressed the need for researchers to include prior achievement when evaluating these relationships. Future research should address the necessity of introducing additional physical activity above and beyond what is typical within the school setting. Further evaluation of the most effective types of interventions to implement, and what outcomes to be measured, would benefit teachers, administrators, school psychologists, educators, and policymakers alike.
