Physical activity refers to approaches that engage students in sports, dance, or any kind of physical exercise.

This might be through organised in school or after school activities or a programme organised by a local sporting club or association. Sometimes sporting activity is used as a means to encourage young people to engage in additional learning activities, such as sports training at a local club combined with study skills, ICT, literacy, or mathematics lessons.

Physical activity has important benefits in terms of health, wellbeing and physical development. These benefits have important value in themselves, however, this Toolkit entry focuses on the benefits of physical activity for core academic achievement particularly literacy and mathematics.

In Aotearoa New Zeeland, Te Whare Tapa Whā , developed by leading Māori health advocate Sir Mason Durie , provides a model that describes health as a wharenui/ meeting house with four walls. These walls represent taha wairua/ spiritual wellbeing, taha hinengaro/ mental and emotional wellbeing, taha tinana/physical wellbeing and taha whānau/family and social wellbeing. This shows physical activity, wellbeing and academic achievement as viewed interdependently.

There is a small positive impact of physical activity on academic achievement (+1 month). While this evidence summary focuses on the link between physical activity and academic performance, it is crucial to ensure that students get access to high quality physical activity for the other benefits and opportunities it provides.

Impact on achievement varies considerably between different interventions, and participation in sports does not straightforwardly transfer to academic learning. It is likely that the quality of the programme and the emphasis on or connection with academic learning may make more difference than the specific type of approach or activities involved.

Planned extra-curricular activities which include short, regular, and structured teaching in literacy and mathematics (either tutoring or group teaching) as part of a sports programme, such as an after-school club or summer school, are more likely to offer academic benefits than sporting activities alone.

There is some evidence that involvement in extra-curricular sporting activities may increase student attendance and retention.

The average impact of engaging in physical activity interventions and approaches is about one more month’s progress over a year.

The variability in effects suggests that the quality of the programme and the emphasis on, or connection with, academic learning may make more difference than the specific type of approach or sporting activities involved. Participating in sports and physical activity is likely to have wider health and social benefits.

There are wider benefits from regular physical activity in terms of physical development, health and wellbeing as well as other potential benefits have been reported such as improved attendance.

Physical education is embedded in the national curriculum as key aspect of students’ learning and development, and sports, dance, and performance initiatives are widely implemented in Aotearoa New Zealand schools. Local studies do not focus directly on benefits regarding literacy and numeracy learning, though links have been made to the development of other learning and skills such as leadership, cooperation, communication, and cultural knowledge.

The mechanism for which physical activity influences academic achievement is unclear. It may be the actual physical exercise that influences achievement, or supplementary learning activities that have been integrated into physical activity in the studies located in the Toolkit. Some ways that schools implement physical activity include:

• Regular activities hosted before or after school;
• External organisations delivering activities within or outside of the school;
• The combination of sports and physical activities with teaching and learning practices (such as the teaching of study skills, ICT, literacy or mathematics lessons);
• The integration of mentoring approaches within sports programmes.

Physical activity programmes are typically delivered over extended periods of time (e.g., a half-term, term or year) by support staff, teachers or external providers.

Overall, the median costs of implementing physical activity are estimated as very low. The costs associated with physical activities arise from training for staff leading programmes, and any additional resource or equipment required, the majority of which are start-up costs.

Whilst the median cost estimate for physical activity is very low, the possible addition of extra staff salaries and facilities means that costs can range from very low to moderate.

These cost estimates assume that schools are already paying for school sports facilities and some basic materials and equipment. These are all pre-requisite costs of implementing physical activities, without which the cost is likely to be higher.

Local research:

Barbalich, I. & Ball, J. (2023) The activity gap in Aotearoa New Zealand: what it is, why it matters and what we can do about it., Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 18(3), 327-336, DOI: 10.1080/1177083X.2022.2145228

Salter, G. (2000). Culturally responsive pedagogy and the renaissance of a Māori dimension in physical education : Te reo kori as cultural taonga. In Journal of Physical Education New Zealand: Vol. Sep 2000; v.33 n.2 (pp. 42–63).