Please see attached files for research outline.
Topic: Depression and Anxiety among College students
ED504 Research Project Outline
There are three parts to Stage 1 of the Research Proposal, which is the final product generated in the ED504 course. The purpose of the outline is to help candidates solidify a topic and approach to a research project for addressing an existing problem in the environment of their field of study. The problem must be identified and supported by existing data and should be applicable to the candidate’s field of study (i.e., library media, counseling, teaching).
Remember, this is an outline. You need to provide sufficient detail to inform your instructor, but responses are not fully fleshed out. The complete details are provided in the Research Proposal and not here in the outline. To provide better guidance, responses to questions in the outline should
not exceed one paragraph.
Part 1 Data Gathering/Analysis
Gather data previously collected at the classroom, school, or district level to justify the identification of a topic for study.
OBJECTIVE: Identifying and analyzing a problem or weakness currently found in candidate’s field of study for the purpose of completing the Research Proposal assignment. Remember, the Research Proposal is a proposal for an
experimental research design.
RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:
1. Identify the problem that you wish to research and write a problem statement. (i.e., The problem this study will address is poor student academic achievement.) (Chapter 1)
2. Identify your hypothesis. (Chapter 1)
3. Elaborate on how you determined this was a problem and write a purpose statement based on your problem statement. (i.e., The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of socioeconomic status on student academic achievement.)
4. Construct a graphical representation that allows for easy analysis of your compiled data that highlights your problem. Identify the source of the data and discuss its credibility. Examples of existing data might include school district test scores, absenteeism reports, graduation rates, cost, ranks, divorce rates, living habits, etc.
5. Discuss the data in your graphical representation to confirm that a problem or weakness can be addressed that is appropriate to the scope of the required program.
6. Connect the problem or weakness to trends or patterns represented in your data.
Part 2 Literature Review
You will conduct a literature review following APA format (most recent published edition) and become familiar with the scholarly debate surrounding your topic and what scholars and practitioners say about the best way to address the particular need or problem identified through the data analysis.
OBJECTIVE: Reviewing and writing a Review of Literature on your chosen topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Research Proposal assignment.
RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:
1. Provide a developed statement of the research problem that demonstrates a sound and focused understanding of the identified problem.
2. Identify best practice(s) that will be used to address the problem or weakness. This should be a theorist or theory that is known and documented in the research literature.
3. Describe and justify a trend/theory that will be used to validate the use of the identified best practice(s) and clearly highlight the connection with the identified trend/theory to address the problem.
4. Provide reference listings (in APA format) for a minimum of 10 sources (largely representative of the most recent five years) you will use to describe/justify the best practice and/or theory identified. Be sure to include only sources that show clear connections with the best practice(s) and/or theory/trend identified as viable responses to the problem/weakness presented.
5. Provide a summary of the literature and how it justifies the need for the study. You are synthesizing your collection of sources into a brief 1-2 paragraph summary. Do
NOT
describe the specific studies included in your sources.
Part 3 Methodology/Action Plan
You will write a measurable and executable action plan on your chosen topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Research Proposal assignment. The action plan must be APA formatted (most recently published edition). Collaborative resources must be included, and each category in the grading rubric must be addressed. Evidence of collaboration with appropriate stakeholders is required.
OBJECTIVE: Writing a measurable and executable action plan on an identified topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Research Proposal assignment.
RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:
1. Identify the population and provide a description of the participant sample and the sampling technique.
2. Justify the sampling technique and the sample chosen.
3. Describe the role of all participants and the plan to prevent harm to them, including the plan for protecting student confidentiality and data.
4. Provide a description of steps and sequence of steps required to complete a successful study.
5. Justify the plan of action with respect to the identified problem and purpose. Be sure to justify the connection between the plan and the expected impact on student achievement.
6. Define constitutive and operational definitions of key terms.
7. Identify the variables in the study and define how each will be measured.
8. Describe the data that is needed for the study and how it will be collected. Include a description of the timeline for the data collection.
9. Identify any instrument that will be used in the study and its validity and reliability measures.
10. Describe any threats to the internal validity of the study and measures for control.
11. Describe the limitations or outside interferences that might interfere with improved student achievement.
Data Gathering/Analysis
CATEGORY
Unacceptable
Revisions Required
Target
Problem and problem statement
Problem/weakness is not identified, or the problem statement is missing
Problem/weakness is identified; problem statement is provided but is overly vague or wordy
Problem/weakness is identified; clear and concise problem statement is provided
Hypothesis
Hypothesis statement is missing
Hypothesis statement is included; but alignment with the problem statement is weak
Clear hypothesis statement is included and aligns with the problem statement
Elaboration and purpose statement
Description of how the problem was determined is missing or purpose statement based on problem statement is missing
Description of how the problem was determined is provided but lacks sufficient detail; purpose statement based on problem statement is provided
Clear description of how the problem was determined; purpose statement based on problem statement is provided
Graphical representation
Graphical format does not present the data in a clear manner; data is only partially presented; data source(s) is not identified
Graphical format(s) is appropriate and clearly presents all the collected data; data source(s) is identified
Graphical format(s) is appropriate; clearly presents all the collected data; highlights visible patterns or trends; data source(s) is identified, and credibility is properly established
Data discussion
No details are provided to support the problem/weakness identified or does not align with the type of data collected
Details provided weakly support the problem/weakness identified; aligns with the type of data collected
Details provided support the problem/weakness identified; is appropriate to the required project scope; aligns with the type of data collected
Connection between data and problem
No connection with the trends and patterns identified in the data are drawn
Connections between the trends/patterns in the data are noted, but not clearly supported in the narrative
Clear connections between the trends/patterns in data are drawn in the narrative and supported in detail in the narrative
Literature Review
CATEGORY
Unacceptable
Revisions Required
Target
Developed problem statement
Problem statement is missing or if one is provided it fails to demonstrate an understanding of the identified problem
Problem statement is provided but could be further fleshed out; evidence of an emerging understanding of the identified problem is demonstrated
Problem statement is fully developed and demonstrates a clear and accurate understanding of the identified problem
Best practice(s)
Best practice(s) are not clearly identified or the practice identified is inappropriate; connection to theorist or theory documented in literature is missing
Best practice(s) are clearly identified; connection to theorist or theory documented in literature is weak or missing
Best practice(s) are clearly identified; connection to theorist or theory documented in literature is established
Theory/trend
Theory or trend is not adequately described and does not validate the selected best practice(s); appropraiteness of theory/trend for addressing the problem or weakness is not addressed
Theory or trend is described but descriotion fails to validate the slected best practice(s); appropraiteness of theory/trend for addressing the problem or weakness is noted but the connection is weak
Theory or trend is clearly described and validates the slected best practice(s); appropraiteness of theory/trend for addressing the problem or weakness is clearly highlighted and accurate
Reference listing
Source requirement was not met; multiple (more than 6) APA formatting errors in the reference list; sources included are not representative of recent research; sources connection to the identified best practice(s) and/or theory/trend is not clear
Meets minimum requirements for degree level: Masters – A minimum of 10 sources were utilized; fewer than 6 APA format errors are present in the reference list; sources included are representative of recent research; sources appear to be connected to the identified best practice(s) and/or theory/trend
Five (5) sources beyond minimum requires were utilized; there are virtually no APA format errors present in the reference list; sources included are representative of recent research; sources appear to be clearly connected to the identified best practice(s) and/or theory/trend
Literature summary
Summaries of content of individual sources included in the collection is presented rather than a synthesis of source content; exceeds 2 paragraphs
Summary of content presented in the collection of sources is provided but includes some details of specific studies; exceeds 2 paragraphs
Synthesis of content presented in the collection of sources is provided; does not exceed 2 paragraphs
Methodology/Action Plan
CATEGORY
Unacceptable
Revisions Required
Target
Population and sampling technique
Descriptions of the participant sample and/or sampling technique are missing
Descriptions of the participant sample and sampling technique are included, but details are limited
Full descriptions of the participant sample and sampling technique are included
Sampling technique justification
Justifications for the sample chosen and/or the sampling technique are missing
Justifications for both the sample chosen and the sampling technique are provided, but details are limited
Justifications for both the sample chosen and the sampling technique are provided
Role of participants and plan to prevent harm
Role of participants is not clearly described; plans for protecting the data and/or student confidentiality are missing
Role of participants is described; plans for protecting the data and/or student confidentiality are not provided or are inadequate
Role of participants is thoroughly described; adequate plans for protecting student confidentiality and/or data are provided
Action plans steps and sequence
Action plan is not described; description is not clear; steps in plan are not in a logical order
Action plan description is provided, but additional detail may be warranted; steps in plan are outlined, but additional steps may be needed, or the order could be altered for better efficiency
Action plan description is provided, and sufficient detail is included; steps in plan are outlined; exhaustive list of steps and sequence of steps allows for optimal efficiency and outcome
Key terms
Definitions of key terms are missing
Definitions of key terms are provided, but are inaccurate or incomplete
Constitutive and operational definitions of key terms are provided
Variables are identified and defined
Variables are misidentified
Variables are identified correctly, but with no clear definitions or explanations as to how they will be measured
Variables are identified correctly, with clear definitions and explanations as to how they will be measured
Required data needs
Data needs are not identified or do not align with the problem; data retrieval plans are missing or inappropriate
Data needs are identified; data retrieval plans are included, but not timeline for collection is provided
Data needs are identified; data retrieval plans are described and a timeline for collection is included
Instrument
Instrument is not described
Instrument is described, but information about instrument validity and reliability limited or missing
Instrument is described in detail and information about instrument validity and reliability are included
Internal validity threats
Threats to internal validity are not identified or described
Threats to internal validity are described, including measure(s) for control, but there are inaccuracies in the details
Threats to internal validity are thoroughly and accurately described, including measure(s) for control
Limitation
Limitations and/or outside interferences with improved student achievement are not identified
Limitations and/or outside interferences with improved student achievement are identified, but limited details are provided
Limitations and/or outside interferences with improved student achievement are identified and thoroughly described
Page 1 of 6
Page 2 of 6
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Page 1 of 12
ED504 Research Project Outline
There are three parts to Stage 1 of the Signature Project, which is the final product generated in the ED504 course. The purpose of
the outline is to help candidates solidify a topic and approach to a research project for addressing an existing problem in their P-12
environment. The problem must be identified and supported by existing data and should be applicable to the candidate’s field of
study (i.e., library media, counseling, teaching).
Text boxes have been provided to help instructors identify the information more quickly. If you need more space, you may expand
the text box to fit your needs.
Part 1 Data Gathering/Analysis
Gather data previously collected at the classroom, school, or district level to justify identification of a topic for study.
OBJECTIVE: Identifying and analyzing an educational problem or weakness currently found in candidate’s classroom or school for
the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project Stage 1 assignment. Remember, candidates will prepare only the Signature
Project Stage 1 in ED504. The Signature Project Stage 1 is a research proposal for an experimental research proposal.
RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:
1. Identify the problem that you wish to research and write a problem statement. (i.e., The problem this study will address is poor
student academic achievement.) (Chapter 1)
2. Identify your hypothesis. (Chapter 1)
There is a higher correlation with students who participate in a daily physical education program and cognitive function
than those that do not.
Students who participate in a daily physical education program are more likely to find greater academic success in core
classes such as math, science and language arts.
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3. Elaborate on how you determined this was a problem and write a purpose statement based on your problem statement. (i.e.,
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of socioeconomic status on student academic achievement.)
4. Construct a graphical representation that allows for easy analysis of your compiled data that highlights your problem. Identify
the source of the data and discuss its credibility. Examples of existing data might include school district test scores, state level
test scores, district special education referrals, district absenteeism reports, school retention reports, etc.
As an instructor, I have witnessed that the only students who are required to participate in routine physical education
classes are those that are not involved in extracurricular school activities such as band, ROTC or school athletic teams.
These extracurricular electives should not take the place of a physical education class as research shows that daily
physical activity has significant benefits to mental cognition and brain function (retrieved from
https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/pdf/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition , p. 47-52). The purpose
of this study is to evaluate the impact of daily physical activity on student achievement.
Effects of 20 Minutes of Physical Activity on Brain Function
(Hillman, C., Pontifex, M., Raine, L., Castelli, D., Hall, E., & Kramer, A., 2009).
This image indicates that acute exercise might serve as a cost-effective means for improving specific aspects of
academic achievement and enhancing cognitive control in adolescents.
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Math Proficiency
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Reading & Language Arts Proficiency
The two previous graphs were pulled from publicschoolreview.com. It is a partner site of Boarding School Review, the
leading online resource for evaluating private secondary boarding schools, and Private School Review. This network of
sites aims to help families learn about and make the best pre-college educational choices for their children and is linked
with the Alabama State Department of Education as well as provides access to many articles relative to issues within
public school education. These graphs show the poor performance of the core classes that are taking the place of
physical education classes within one of the Baldwin county public school systems. I am proposing that the routine
addition of a physical education class (or physical activity breaks within the core classes by the physical education
department within the school) may improve some of these scores for students at this institution.
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5. Discuss the data in your graphical representation to confirm that a problem or weakness can be addressed that is appropriate
to the scope of the required program.
6. Connect the problem or weakness to trends or patterns represented in your data.
Part 2 Literature Review
You will conduct a literature review, following APA format (most recent published edition), and become familiar with the scholarly
debate surrounding your topic, and what scholars and practitioners say about the best way to address the particular need or problem
identified through the data analysis.
OBJECTIVE: Reviewing and writing a Review of Literature on your chosen topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature
Project Stage 1 assignment.
Number of Students in Foley High School: 1872
Number of Students Participating (Annually) in a Physical Education Class: Awaiting Data
I have reached out to Foley High School to obtain these statistics. While I was not able to get an answer prior to the
deadline of this assignment, I will await this information and insert it into the next assignment as it will be vital in the
summation of my research proposal and final project.
As previously discussed following the explanations accompanying the above graphical representations, data suggests
that daily moderate to vigorous exercise may improve the proficiency of math, reading and language arts scores in Foley
High School. While I am still awaiting data on the ratio of students who substitute a physical education class for a
separate elective, I am confident the participation level of students in regular physical education classes compared to
those in alternative classes will be significantly lower.
There is a wealth of data supporting the theory that regular physical activity has a significant positive impact on cognitive
development as well as other aspects of wellness. The lack of participation of high school students in daily physical
education classes can likely be connected to the low proficiency demonstrated in math, reading and language arts for this
institution.
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RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:
1. Provide a developed statement of the research problem that demonstrates a sound and focused understanding of the
identified problem.
2. Identify best practice(s) that will be used to address the problem or weakness. This should be a theorist or theory that is
known and documented in the research literature.
3. Describe and justify a trend/theory that will be used to validate the use of the identified best practice(s) and clearly highlight
the connection with the identified trend/theory to address the problem.
The substitution of a required physical education class for an alternative course may be directly correlated with the
inadequate scores in mathematics, English, reading, science and composite proficiency on the ACT exam for students at
Foley High School.
All students at Foley High School will be required to participate in a daily physical education class in addition to the core
curriculum of mathematics, English, reading, science and composite. Classroom instructors will coordinate with physical
education instructors to incorporate classroom teaching elements into the physical education setting. In addition, physical
education teachers will collaborate with classroom teachers and be responsible for facilitating 5 minute “brain breaks” into
the seated instruction time of classroom coursework (Colorado Education Initiative, 2014). The annual practice ACT and
ACT profile report will demonstrate the combination of physical activity and cognitive function in the classroom will
improve ACT proficiencies.
There is a great deal of research that suggests a strong correlation between gains in cognitive ability and participation in
physical activity (Rasberry. C., Lee S., & Robin L, 2011). A significant amount of this research has indicated a positive
relationship between academic achievement and PA and fitness in school-aged children (Buck, Hillman, & Castelli, 2008;
Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves, & Malina, 2006; Welk et al., 2010).
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4. Provide reference listings (in APA format) for a minimum of 10 sources (largely representative of the most recent five years)
you will use describe/justify the best practice and/or theory identified. Be sure to include only sources that show clear
connections with the best practice(s) and/or theory/trend identified as viable responses to the problem/weakness presented.
Alabama State Department of Education. (2019). ACT profile report-high school 2018-2019 (Report No. 011140). Foley, AL:
Alabama State Testing
Alabama State Department of Education. (2016). Mathematics Guidelines. Retrieved from
https://www.alsde.edu/sec/sct/COS/2016%20Revised%20Alabama%20Course%20of%20Study%20Mathematics
Alabama State Department of Education. (n.d.) Physical Education Guidelines. Retrieved from
https://www.alsde.edu/sec/sct/COS/1%202009%20Physical%20Education%20Course%20of%20Study
Blom, L. C., Alvarez, J., Zhang, L., & Kolbo, J. (2011). Associations between health-related physical fitness, academic
achievement and selected academic behaviors of elementary and middle school students in the state of Mississippi.
ICHPER-SD Journal of Research, 6(1), 13–19. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ936015&site=ehost-live
Buck, S. M., Hillman, C. H., & Castelli, D. M. (2008). The relation of aerobic fitness to stroop task performance in
preadolescent children. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40(1), 166-172.
Coe, D. P., Pivarnik, J. M, Womack, C. J., Reeves, M. J., & Malina, R. M. (2006). Effect of physical education and activity
levels on academic achievement in children. Medicine and Exercise Science in Sport and Exercise, 38(8), 1515-1519.
Eveland-Sayers. B. M., Farley, R. S., Fuller, D. K., Morgan, D. W., & Caputo, J. L. (2009). Physical fitness and academic
achievement in elementary school children. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 6, 99-104
Harveson, A., Hannon, J., Brusseau, T., Podlog, L., Chase, B., & Kyoung-doo Kang. (2018). Acute exercise and
achievement in high school youth. Physical Educator, 75(1), 25–36.
Rasberry, C. N., Lee, S. M., & Robin, L. (2011). The association between school-based physical activity including physical
education, and academic performance: a systematic review of the literature. Preventative Medicine, 52, S10-S20.
Santiago, J. A., Roper, E. A., Disch, J. G., & Morales, J. (2013). The relationship among aerobic capacity, body composition,
and academic achievement of fourth and fifth grade Hispanic students. Physical Educator, 70(1), 89–105.
Page 8 of 12
5. Provide a summary of the literature and how it justifies the need for study. You are synthesizing your collection of sources into
a brief 1-2 paragraph summary. Do NOT describe the specific studies included in your sources.
Part 3 Methodology/Action Plan
You will write a measurable and executable action plan on your chosen topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature Project
Stage 1 assignment. The action plan must be APA formatted (most recently published edition). Collaborative resources must be
included and each category in the grading rubric must be addressed. Evidence of collaboration with appropriate stakeholders is
required.
Shephard, R. J. (1996). Habitual physical activity and academic performance. Nutrition Reviews, 54(4), S32-S36.
Tomporowski, P. D. (2003) Cognitive and behavioral response to acute exercise in youths. A review. Pediatric Exercise
Science, 15(4), 348-359.
Travlos, A. K. (2010) High intensity physical education classes and cognitive performance in eighth-grade students: An
applied study. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 8(3), 302-311.
Welk, G. J., Jackson, A. W., Morrow, J. R., Haskell, W. H., Meredith, M. D., & Cooper, K. H. (2010). The association of
health-related fitness with indicators of academic performance in Texas schools. Research Quarterly for Exercise and
Sport, 81(3), S16-S23.
While not all correlations were as strong as others, the literature demonstrates a clear and consistent result that physical
activity has a positive impact on academic success. In some cases, the data showed a correlation between improved fitness
testing and academic grades while other studies showed a direct correlation of improved test scores following vigorous
physical activity. In addition to enhanced cognition, regular physical activity also improved morale, self-confidence and
decreased behavior issues in class. With the majority of children at Foley High School taking alternative classes to P.E. and
underperforming on the ACT, this study is imperative to show the important relationship that exists between regular physical
activity classes and improved academic performance.
Page 9 of 12
OBJECTIVE: Writing a measurable and executable action plan on an identified topic for the purpose of completing UWA’s Signature
Project assignment.
RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPTS:
1. Identify the population and provide a description of the participant sample and the sampling technique.
2. Justify the sampling technique and the sample chosen.
3. Describe the role of all participants and the plan to prevent harm to them, including the plan for protecting student
confidentiality and data.
4. Provide a description of steps and sequence of steps required to complete a successful study.
The accessible population will consist of all students in grades 10-12 at Foley High School. The ninth-grade students will not
be included in the population because they are not required to complete the Pre-ACT or ACT exam until their sophomore
year. The sample will consist of students in grades 10-12 enrolled at Foley High School. Since all students are required to
take a physical education course or approved alternative course and all are also required to take the Pre-ACT or ACT, there
will be a viable pool for results in both those enrolled in a physical education course and those enrolled in an alternative
activity course. A simple random sample will be used in this study.
The research will be conducted through a quantitative study using the results from the Pre-ACT and the ACT as the method
for data collection. A sample of 50 students from each experimental & control group will be selected through a simple
random sample so each and every member of the population has an equal and independent chance of being selected.
Each student in grades 10-12 at Foley High School will register to take the Pre-ACT (10th grade) or the ACT (11-12
grades). Although this research involves little to no risk to participants, informed consent will be obtained from parents or
guardians due to the fact the research subjects are minors. In order to protect the identity of the students, all participants will
be assigned a random number (0-50) based on which group they are designated so no identity will be linked to results.
a. Students will be designated as PE1## (physical education class participation), PE2## (physical education class and
“brain breaks” participation), ALT1## (alternative class to physical education class) or ALT2## (alternative class to
physical education class with “brain breaks” participation).
b. The Pre-ACT will be administered to all tenth-grade students and results designated to the experimental group.
Page 10 of 12
5. Justify the plan of action with respect to the identified problem and purpose. Be sure to justify the connection between the
plan and the expected impact on student achievement,
6. Define constitutive and operational definitions of key terms.
c. The ACT will be administered to all eleventh and twelfth-grade students and results designated to the experimental
group.
d. Students in the “Brain Break” experimental group will participate in 2, 5 to 10-minute brain breaks during seated
instruction time.
e. Following three months of participation, all Pre-ACT and ACT exams will be re-administered to determine if there is an
effect of participation in regular physical education classes on core proficiencies.
Foley High School students are falling below state standards in mathematics, reading, science and English. State physical
education standards also grant students the ability to substitute an alternative “activity” class in place of a physical
education class despite numerous studies showing improved cognition. This quantitative study will seek to determine
whether participation in a regular physical education class has any bearing on core proficiency within the stated population.
Substantial scientific evidence exists stating a benefit of cognitive processes in the classroom in conjunction with regular
physical activity participation. By implementing regular physical education classes and “brain breaks” from seated
instruction time, proficiency in mathematics, reading, science and English will improve within students of Foley High School.
Proficiency-a high degree of competency or skill; the ability to completely understand a concept.
Alternative Activity Class-a class that is deemed an approved substitute for an accredited physical education class.
Core Proficiency-mastering the classes in education deemed the central or most important part of a school’s curriculum. For
this study, the core classes include mathematics, reading, science and English.
Brain Break-a 5-10-minute break from seated classroom instruction where a certified physical education teacher engages
students in movement or exercises to increase blood flow, cognitive stimulation and mental alertness in the hopes of
improved success within classroom instruction.
PE101-The experimental group within the study that will participate in regular physical activity classes.
PE201-The experimental group within the study that will participate in regular physical activity classes. In addition to the
physical education class, this group will also receive “brain breaks” twice a day each day of the week they are enrolled in
school.
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7. Identify the variables in the study and define how each will be measured.
ALT101- The control group within the study that will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to an
approved physical education class.
ALT201-The experimental group within the study that will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to
an approved physical education class. In addition to the alternative activity class, this group will also receive “brain breaks”
twice a day each day of the week they are enrolled in school.
PE101-This experimental group within the study will participate in regular physical activity classes. This group of students
will be enrolled in a physical education class that meets five days per week led by a certified physical education teacher.
The teacher will ensure that all students participate in moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.
PE201- This experimental group within the study will participate in regular physical activity classes. This group of students
will be enrolled in a physical education class that meets five days per week led by a certified physical education teacher.
The teacher will ensure that all students participate in moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. In
addition to the regular P.E. class, this group will also receive “brain breaks” twice a day each day of the week they are
enrolled in school.
ALT101- This control group within the study will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to an
approved physical education class. The class will be led by the band director, ROTC leader, coach or school-approved
leader designated to their alternative activity class.
ALT201- This control group within the study will participate in an approved alternative activity class as opposed to an
approved physical education class. The class will be led by the band director, ROTC leader, coach or school-approved
leader designated to their alternative activity class. In addition to the alternative activity class, this group will also receive
“brain breaks” twice a day each day of the week they are enrolled in school.
Pre-ACT & ACT-The American College Testing exam that is used by all colleges and universities in the United States as an
entrance exam. The exam tests English, reading, mathematics and science. The results from the Pre-ACT and ACT
administered to participants will be used to determine the impact physical activity has on the core proficiencies at Foley
High School
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8. Describe the data that is needed for the study and how it will be collected. Include a description of the timeline for the data
collection.
9. Identify any instrument that will be used in the study and its validity and reliability measures.
10. Describe any threats to internal validity of the study and measures for control.
11. Describe the limitations or outside interferences that might interfere with improved student achievement.
The Pre-ACT (grade 10) and ACT exams (grades 11 & 12) will be administered to all students (respectively) at the
beginning of the study. The population will be divided into experimental and control groups for a duration of three months.
The Pre-ACT and ACT exams will be re-administered following the three-month study and data on the exam will determine
if the hypothesis was correct or incorrect.
The Pre-ACT & ACT exams are nationally recognized examinations used for entrance into colleges and universities in the
United States. These will be the instruments used for data collection and are extremely reliable sources of measurement. In
addition, the core proficiencies of English, reading, mathematics and science are the specific domains tested on the
examination.
While questions will be asked in a variety of methods, the same level of Pre-ACT and ACT exam will be administered to
students initially and following the three-month study. All physical education teachers will hold a state certification exam and
all alternative activity classes will be led by school-approved instructors. Weekly lesson plans will ensure all students
participating in physical education classes are receiving 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous, daily physical activity. All
students participating in the brain break experimental groups will be given the same level of activity to improve validity and
reliability. A large enough simple random sample will be taken to account for absenteeism and student withdrawals.
If students miss school due to sickness or withdrawal, absenteeism could interfere with improved student achievement. If
students request permission to be removed from the study or are not able for any reason to take the final Pre-ACT or ACT
exam, failure to comply with the re-administration of the exam could also interfere with improved student achievement. If
students become injured and are unable to participate in regular physical activity, this could also interfere with improved
student achievement.
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