Abstract to Action Research Project

Middle School Fitness Levels Dropping: Are this year’s students in worse shape than previous years?

Abstract

Childhood obesity is a major concern in today’s society.  With this in mind, I decided to create a 3 year school initiative to observe student fitness levels and patterns and so I can make changes in order to improve physical fitness.  All students involved in this initiative were from Memorial Middle School in Fair Lawn, NJ.

The students were given a set of four physical fitness tests designed by the Fitnessgram assessment program (1999), a standardized fitness test, to test their physical fitness.  These tests were administered by four teachers certified in health and physical education.  The students were assessed on upper body strength/endurance (push-up test), abdominal strength/endurance (curl-up test), cardiovascular endurance (mile run), and a Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (20 meter PACER test).  The students were tested in November (fall) and then again in April (Spring). 

The testing started in 2009-2010 with the 6^th graders only.  In 2010-2011, we tested the 6^th graders and the 7^th graders as well.  Finally, in 2011-2012 all 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade students were tested.  There were three main objectives; compare students’ fitness levels from grade to grade, compare 6^th graders for the past for the past 3 years, and compare the same student body as they progress from year to year.   Other factors that are noted are the differences between boys’ and girls’ performance, and the differences in performances from the fall testing to the spring testing.

The study showed that each upcoming 6^th grade class has fewer students entering the healthy fitness zone than the year before.  It was also found that there are more 8^th graders in the healthy fitness zone than 7^th or 6^th graders.  However, when the same class was followed from 6^th grade to 8^th grade, the amount of students in the healthy fitness zone decreased each year.  On most tests, for each grade, for both genders, there was an improvement in the amount of students in the healthy fitness zone from fall to spring testing. Finally, there were typically a higher percentage of girls in the healthy fitness zone than boys throughout all grades.

Update on Action Research Project

Action Research Project Title: Obesity Rising? Can next year’s students compete with this years’?

Blog URL: http://healthandtechnology3.blogspot.com/

Number of AR Project Documented Hours: 20 hours

AR Project Summary (at least 250 words): The research portion of this project is over.  I have added new types of exercises into the curriculum, administered the fitnessgram standardized tests for spring and fall, and have collected all the data from these tests.  I currently have to compute all the data onto the computer, find literature that supports my findings, and finally write up the report.  I can’t wait to see the results and compare from previous years.  I am very curious to find out how the students have progressed, and if there is a change in fitness levels from year to year.  Once my questions have been answered, I plan on bringing this information to the board of education.  Hopefully this information will make them aware of the problem we have right in our own district.  This awareness can bring more support to our department and therefore will show the community and parents of these children, that health and physical education is just as important, if not more, than some of the so called “core” classes.  I have found that over the years, administration and parents have thought of health and physical education as just “gym.” Support is not provided, care is not given if students are pulled from these classes for other things, students are not held accountable if they fail, and there is just this laissez-faire attitude about the whole subject.  Yet, these are subjects are topics that make children become adults.  It is the back bone of life and helps create responsible, healthy people.

Action Research Plan Revised

Janean Marxen          ET8040          Revised April 2012

Action Research Plan
Goal: To observe the fitness levels of a 6th grade class as they move up to 8th grade.  To compare 6th grade classes for three years.  For 6th Grade students to improve their fitness levels in 6 months, by having Fitnessgram software and non-traditional exercises built into their physical education class
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Conduct Fitnessgram fitness testing	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea* Tom Hochkeppel* Robyn Levine* (*other PE teachers in my school)	October 15th to October 31st	Fitnessgram software	Compute all scores into Fitnessgram software
Decide what non-traditional fitness activities are to be incorporated into the class	Janean Marxen	November 15th to May 15th	Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine Online resources	Group dialogue (once a month meeting to decide what we will do for that month)
Give students recording of their fitness scores from Fitnessgram software	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine	November 15th to December 15th	Fitnessgram software	Handouts from Fitnessgram software
Incorporate non-traditional activities into daily warm-up routines	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine	November 15th to May 15th	Each other and online sources	Group dialogue (once a week to discuss progress)
Class discussion about fitness progress, activities, and software use with students	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine	November 15th to May 15th	Students	Group dialogue once a month
Conduct Fitnessgram fitness testing	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine	May 1st to May 15th	Fitnessgram software	Compute all scores into Fitnessgram software
Give students recording of their fitness scores from Fitnessgram software	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine	May 15th to June 1st	Fitnessgram software	Handouts from Fitnessgram software
Compile results from Fall and Spring testing	Janean Marxen	June 1st to June 15th	Self	Charts
Analyze data	Janean Marxen	June 15th to June 30th	Previous studies from other researchers	Research project completed

Reflections from Web Conferences from EDLD 5363

July 2nd, 2012 (week 5)
      During this web conference, there was much discussion on what exactly was due this last week of the course.  There was some confusion on the reflection portion of the assignments.  That is one great asset to web conferences, you can ask questions and either your colleagues or professor can answer them.  I did not find this week very useful.  I personally understood what was being asked.  I did find it interesting how many people joined that web conference.  I find that the more people the better.  You really get an insight to who your classmates are and if they have the same questions as you. 

June 30th, 2012 (week 4)
      Again, the first 10 minutes were talking to specific people and not relevant to me.  There was a lot of empty spaces.  Where people did not have questions or there was not speaking.  Dr. Abernathy talked a little bit about internship hours.  Almost like a friendly reminder to keep it up.  There was not much discussed at the web conference.

June 17th, 2012 (week 3)
      The web conference took quite awhile to actually get started.  There was a lot of "getting started" information.  Eventually, Dr. Abernathy began to discuss what is actually needed for week 3 and so forth.  I found it interesting what some people really do not know.  I found week 1 and 2 easy, but some people were lost and apparently did not read.  Dr. Abernathy shared some of her teaching and grading philosophy, which i found interesting.  I like observing web conferences, but I  sometimes find them a waste of time.  I like the concept of being able to ask questions, but most of the time, I already knew most of the answers.  I am not trying to sound pompous, but I am glad that I do not have web camera, because then I can do other things while people are talking.

Personal Diary

My Love Story: The Key to my Happiness

http://www.slideboom.com/presentations/564472/personal-diary?pk=ac7d-4468-0001-aafe-9152-8fdb-4ca1-7252

This website contain my personal diary of the my love story.  However, the music is missing.  For some reason it did not stay with the show.

I found this assignment to be slightly challenging.  Most online sites or Web 2.0 tools that I tried to use, did not allow you to speak over them. If they did, I needed more instruction on to do so.  I was also having trouble downloading the show onto a site.  It would not embed on here, that is why I have the website instead.  Anyway, I had fun making it, but I felt there needed to be more direction.  I also felt the assignment was unclear.  For example, what was needed in the discussion  board, in the blog etc.  The rubric did not contain everything that we were suppose to do.

Reflection of Research Course

I felt that this course overall was very easy to follow and understand.  Everything was clearly explained and organized.However, I thought that the lectures basically contained information that we read or were told about in weekly overviews.  Honestly, I did not find the lectures that necessary.  I thought that the readings were very helpful and were an easy read.  Both books contained vital information for action research that I did not know.  On the other hand, I thought that it would have been more helpful if we were told about purchasing the books earlier or if the assigned readings would not start the first week.  I had to have a rush on the books so I could do the assignment.  I thought the assignments were relevant to what we needed to do for the action research study.  I also thought that they were not too difficult that it took hours to complete.  They were appropriate and reasonable.  The discussion board questions and topics were helpful in the action research plan  by posting responses to what we have been doing.  Since not many people posted comments on our blogs this was the only source of feedback.  I think that it should have been posted the first week that we need to post on others blogs.  We were not told about this until week 3 and therefore I personally got behind.

Updated Action Research Plan

Action Research Plan
Goal: For 6th Grade students to improve their fitness levels in 6 months, by having Fitnessgram software and non-traditional exercises built into their physical education class
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
Conduct Fitnessgram fitness testing	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea* Tom Hochkeppel* Robyn Levine* (*other PE teachers in my school)	October 15th to October 31st	Fitnessgram software	Compute all scores into Fitnessgram software
Decide what non-traditional activities are to be incorporated into the class	Janean Marxen	November 15th to May 15th	Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine Online resources	Group dialogue (once a month meeting to decide what we will do for that month)
Give students recording of their fitness scores from Fitnessgram software	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine	November 15th to December 15th	Fitnessgram software	Handouts from Fitnessgram software
Incorporate non-traditional activities into daily warm-up routines	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine	November 15th to May 15th	Each other and online sources	Group dialogue (once a week to discuss progress)
Class discussion about fitness progress, activities, and software use with students	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine	November 15th to May 15th	Students	Group dialogue once a month
Conduct Fitnessgram fitness testing	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine	May 1st to May 15th	Fitnessgram software	Compute all scores into Fitnessgram software
Give students recording of their fitness scores from Fitnessgram software	Janean Marxen Jay Mastandrea Tom Hochkeppel Robyn Levine	May 15th to June 1st	Fitnessgram software	Handouts from Fitnessgram software
Compile results from Fall and Spring testing	Janean Marxen	June 1st to June 15th	Self	Charts
Analyze data	Janean Marxen	June 15th to June 30th	Previous studies from other researchers	Research project completed