ACTIVE VALUESun programa educativo interdisciplinar basado en la incorporación de actividad física y responsabilidad personal y social en el aula

Abstract

This doctoral thesis is based on the design, implementation and evaluation of a multidisciplinary educational programme based on the incorporation of physical activity (PA) and personal and social responsibility in the classroom of different curricular areas. The main objective was to promote the practice of PA and the personal and social development of students, as well as to contribute to multiple domains of learning. To achieve the objectives of this research, different studies were conducted in three key research stages. In the first stage, a comprehensive review of the scientific literature was carried out to identify suitable pedagogical approaches to be part of the multidisciplinary educational programme. Two pedagogical strategies with a solid theoretical foundation and scientific evidence were identified: Classroom-Based Physical Activity (CB-PA) and Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR). Furthermore, both educational methodologies had been implemented in a cross-cutting and interdisciplinary manner in various curricular areas. Systematic reviews of intervention programmes based on CB-PA and TPSR provided solid evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of their application in the school environment, which supported the idea that it was feasible to effectively integrate both strategies. Within this stage, a research protocol was designed and justified to define the objectives and necessary actions of this doctoral thesis. In the second stage, two pilot studies and a quasi-experimental study were carried out to assess the degree of feasibility and fidelity of the educational programme, as well as to analyse teachers’ pedagogical behaviours when implementing the programme and students’ classroom behaviour. The findings confirmed the compatibility and interrelation between CB-PA and TPSR for their combination in the classroom of different curricular areas. This evidences the adaptability and suitability of the educational programme to be implemented in different areas and curricular contents of the Primary Education curriculum. Observational results related to behavioural patterns showed an evolution of teachers' pedagogical behaviours towards an interpersonal style based on autonomy support. The modification of teachers' behavioural patterns was accompanied by an improvement in students' pro-social behaviours and life skills in the classroom, which contributed to a more positive, dynamic and participatory learning climate. The incorporation of CB-PA in this pedagogical approach increased students' active participation, social interaction and cognitive engagement during classroom activities. In the third stage of research, two quasi-experimental studies were conducted to examine the impact of the multidisciplinary educational programme on different domains of student learning. The results showed positive effects on different dimensions: (a) physical, reduction of sedentary time, improvement of moderate to vigorous intensity PA and improvement of physical strength and endurance capacities; (b) cognitive, improvement of executive functions of planning and verbal fluency; (c) affective, satisfaction of basic psychological needs and improvement of self-determined motivation; (d) social, improvement of teacher social climate and social responsibility; and (e) behavioural, improvement of classroom behaviour, PA levels and intention to be physically active. In conclusion, the multidisciplinary educational programme can be a useful pedagogical alternative to palliate global problems such as the lack of PA and educational values, as well as to promote multidimensional development in students. In spite of the many limitations of this research, the findings show new lines of future research to promote interdisciplinary educational practices focused on the wellbeing and integral development of young people.