TY - THES
T1 - The Impact of Brain Breaks on Student Engagement in the Elementary Classroom
AU - Foley, Hannah
AU - Nillas, Leah A.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Brain breaks, or physical activity breaks, are used in the classroom as periods of time during a school day that students are provided that do not involve academics. These periods of time allow students brains to refocus and reenergize before moving on to the next lesson. These brain breaks are typically implemented after students have been working for a while. In my study, I implemented one brain break each day, including a variety of different breaks throughout the semester. Some of the brain breaks that I implemented in the classroom throughout my study include physical exercises, questioning activities, YouTube videos, and class conversations. As these brain breaks were implemented, I collected data on the impact of these breaks on student engagement. There are three types of student engagement which include: behavioral engagement, cognitive engagement, and emotional engagement. Behavioral engagement entails positive conduct, involvement in learning and academic tasks, and participation in school related activities. Emotional engagement “refers to students’ affective reactions in the classroom” and cognitive engagement “emphasizes an inner psychological quality and investment in learning, implying more than just behavioral engagement” (Fredericks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004). I collected classroom data to examine the relationship between brain breaks and student engagement through field notes, student surveys, and classroom observations. The results of my data showcase how behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement developed throughout the course of the semester due to the implementation of brain breaks each day.
AB - Brain breaks, or physical activity breaks, are used in the classroom as periods of time during a school day that students are provided that do not involve academics. These periods of time allow students brains to refocus and reenergize before moving on to the next lesson. These brain breaks are typically implemented after students have been working for a while. In my study, I implemented one brain break each day, including a variety of different breaks throughout the semester. Some of the brain breaks that I implemented in the classroom throughout my study include physical exercises, questioning activities, YouTube videos, and class conversations. As these brain breaks were implemented, I collected data on the impact of these breaks on student engagement. There are three types of student engagement which include: behavioral engagement, cognitive engagement, and emotional engagement. Behavioral engagement entails positive conduct, involvement in learning and academic tasks, and participation in school related activities. Emotional engagement “refers to students’ affective reactions in the classroom” and cognitive engagement “emphasizes an inner psychological quality and investment in learning, implying more than just behavioral engagement” (Fredericks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004). I collected classroom data to examine the relationship between brain breaks and student engagement through field notes, student surveys, and classroom observations. The results of my data showcase how behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement developed throughout the course of the semester due to the implementation of brain breaks each day.
M3 - Faculty Advisor of Undergraduate Research
ER -