MOVEOUT
A cluster randomized controlled trial of the efficacy and mechanisms of an education outside the classroom intervention on adolescents’ physical activity.
Recent research has indicated that a longer period of regular education outside the classroom (EOtC), has a positive effect on pupils’ academic motivation and social well-being in the class community. However, the previous large-scale studies have methodological shortcomings.
This study will investigate the EOtC induced effects on physical activity behaviour, well-being, and academic performance in an improved research design, which also allows for investigation of the particular mechanisms in EOtC that have effect.
- To investigate, the efficacy of education outside the classroom five hours a week on adolescent’s physical activity behavior, academic motivation, well-being, and academic performance.
- To investigate which pedagogical activities that cause the effects.
EOtC is a teaching practice in primary and lower secondary schools characterized by teaching core curricular subjects in contexts outside the school buildings in nature and cultural environments, sometimes in collaboration with societal institutions.
Research suggests that EOtC provide variation during the school day and increase physical activity and support academic motivation. This means that EOtC has the potential to contribute to solving some of the health issues western societies face today.
The cluster randomized controlled trial MOVEOUT investigates the effects of regular practiced EOtC on pupils’ health and learning, by asking: What is the benefit of EOtC for pupils’ movement behaviour, academic motivation, and well-being? The results will impact an expected future scale-up of EOtC.
In total, 1-2 school classes in 4-9th grade from each of 30 Danish general schools are invited to participate. Based on a random selection of half of the schools, teachers in those schools will be offered a two-day training course on EOtC pedagogy.
Then, they will engage in practice of EOtC on regular bases with their class during the course of the school year 2022-2023, for at least five hours a week in 1-2 weekly sessions.
Simultaneously, the classes from the other 15 schools will continue their teaching as usual, including eventual non-regular use of teaching outside the school buildings.
MOVEOUT stands on the shoulders of the research experiences and results found in the previous Danish quasi-experimental study TEACHOUT which was conducted 2014-2018.
In MOVEOUT, a randomised design is applied. Similar to the TEACHOUT-study, MOVEOUT investigates the effect of EOtC on pupils’ physical activity, academic motivation, well-being, and academic performance. In addition, it is investigated which pedagogical activities that cause the effects.
Elsborg, P., Mygind, L., Bølling, M., Klinker, C. D., Melby, P. S., Andreasen, A. H., Brønd, J. C., Bentsen, P., & Nielsen, G. (2024). Efficacy of education outside the classroom to increase adolescent physical activity. Scientific Reports, 14(1), [28213]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79138-z
Bølling, M., Mygind, L., Elsborg, P., Melby, P. S., Barfod, K. S., Brønd, J. C., Klinker, C. D., Nielsen, G., & Bentsen, P. (2023). Efficacy and mechanisms of an education outside the classroom intervention on pupils’ health and education: the MOVEOUT study protocol. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1825. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16618-3
Ventura, A. (2023). Self-care e well-being a scuola, il progetto danese MOVEOUT. Journal of Health Care Education in Practice, 5(1), 37-48. DOI: 10.14658/PUPJ-jhcep-2023-1-5
Involved in the project
Project Manager
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glen Nielsen | Associate Professor | +4535320869 |
Research Staff
| Name | Title | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Mads Bølling | PhD, Researcher | Health Promotion Research, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen. |
| Peter Elsborg | Researcher | Health Promotion Research, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen and Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital |
| Charlotte Demant Klinker | Senior researcher and Team leader | Health Promotion Research, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen. |
| Peter Bentsen | Director and Affiliated Professor in Udeskole og Outdoor Pedagogy |
Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital and Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen |
| Lærke Mygind | Researcher | Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital |
| Karen Barfod | Forskningsleder, docent og ph.d. | Forskningscenter for pædagogik og dannelse, VIA University College |
| Jan Christian Brønd | Associate Professor, PhD | Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark |
| Neromie Fernando | Assistant professor | VIA University College |
| Annamaria Ventura | PhD student | University of Bari Aldo Moro |
| Alberte Laura Oest Müllertz | Research assistent | Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital |
| Silje Mikkelsen | Research assistent | Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital |
Funded by
Project period:
June 2021 - June 2026.
Data collection:
February 2022 - June 2023.
Regional Committee on Health Research Ethics, Capital Region
Journal no..: 21062006
Contact
Mads Bølling, mads.boelling@regionh.dk
Practice Partner
