Date of Award

Spring 2023

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

First Advisor

James D. Kirylo

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Tabata Based Physical Fitness Intervention (TBPFI) on measures of student engagement in a middle school mathematics class. Student engagement was measured with the Student Engagement in Mathematics Scale (SEMS) which a Likert style scale. The results of this survey supplied a numerical rating for the social, emotional, and cognitive engagement of each studentparticipant in the study on days when a TBPFI was implemented and on days when it was not implemented. Additionally, pre- and post-interviews were conducted with the student-participants and the teacher-participant. Finally, researcher observations and rating scales were used to evaluate student engagement with the implementation of a TBPFI. Over the course of six weeks, five students and one classroom teacher participated in the study. The results of the study suggest that the use a TBPFI in a middle school mathematics class can improve the engagement levels of some students but not for all students and it may be dependent on current physical activity levels. The results of the study were used to develop an action plan that identifies the appropriate use if a TBPFI in a classroom setting for a middle school in an effort to engage more students in the classroom setting.

Rights

© 2023, Justin R. Kulik

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