Page 11 - Petelin Ana. Ur. 2022. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of children and adolescents. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 11
ity with laboratory results, and the importance of comparison between dif- the importance of systematic planning and implementation of physical education ... 11
ferent age groups, schools, countries, etc.
The “Beep Test” can be found under various names: Incremental Run,
Multi-stage Fitness Test, Beep Test, Pacer Test, Leger Test, and 20-m Shuttle
Run Test. They are exactly the same execution, namely that the participant
runs a distance of 20 m, while the pace of the run is determined by a sound sig-
nal. The frequency of the sound signal increases by half a kilometer per hour
every minute, starting at 8.5 km/h. If a person is unable to cross the 20-meter
line after two consecutive tones, the test is over for them and the last distance
traveled is recorded (Ruiz et al., 2010).
We use the test to determine the level of endurance or individual aero-
bic capacity of each student, which is the starting point for preparing physical
education classes with the goal of developing endurance. Aerobic endurance is
one of the functional abilities of a person that is positively related to the cogni-
tive performance of an individual (Howie et al., 2015), so it is very important to
develop it systematically in schools. There is a trend of decreasing endurance in
schools (Starc et al., 2020), so experts are already warning of the consequences
not only for health but also for the decline of cognitive functions.
At schools, there are various options for endurance training (running,
cycling, in-line skating, swimming, cross-country skiing, hiking, etc.). Endur-
ance training usually takes place outdoors, so geographic location (distance or
proximity to lakes, mountains, forests, trails, etc.) is an important external fac-
tor in implementation. The next important factor is the curriculum and its im-
plementation, and this is the external factor we focus on in this study. We want
to investigate the importance of the implementation of Physical Education, the
annual curriculum, structured preparation and other forms of implementation
of the Physical Education (school in nature and sports days) in schools for aer-
obic performance in the first three years of primary school.
Methods
A sample of participants
The study sample includes two elementary schools that are located in similar
geographic settings (lake, mountains, proximity to forests and meadows, prox-
imity and variety of safe trails, etc.) but use different methods for planning and
implementing physical education as a subject. The first is a Slovenian elemen-
tary school where 105 hours of physical education and 5 sports days are sys-
tematically planned each year and included in the annual curriculum; the sec-
ond is an Austrian elementary school where 105 hours of physical education
are planned in the first and second grades and 70 hours of physical education
are planned in the third grade, and no sports days are planned in any grade,
and again there is a loose annual plan for physical education without prepara-
tion of individual sports lessons. Only healthy students from both elementary
ferent age groups, schools, countries, etc.
The “Beep Test” can be found under various names: Incremental Run,
Multi-stage Fitness Test, Beep Test, Pacer Test, Leger Test, and 20-m Shuttle
Run Test. They are exactly the same execution, namely that the participant
runs a distance of 20 m, while the pace of the run is determined by a sound sig-
nal. The frequency of the sound signal increases by half a kilometer per hour
every minute, starting at 8.5 km/h. If a person is unable to cross the 20-meter
line after two consecutive tones, the test is over for them and the last distance
traveled is recorded (Ruiz et al., 2010).
We use the test to determine the level of endurance or individual aero-
bic capacity of each student, which is the starting point for preparing physical
education classes with the goal of developing endurance. Aerobic endurance is
one of the functional abilities of a person that is positively related to the cogni-
tive performance of an individual (Howie et al., 2015), so it is very important to
develop it systematically in schools. There is a trend of decreasing endurance in
schools (Starc et al., 2020), so experts are already warning of the consequences
not only for health but also for the decline of cognitive functions.
At schools, there are various options for endurance training (running,
cycling, in-line skating, swimming, cross-country skiing, hiking, etc.). Endur-
ance training usually takes place outdoors, so geographic location (distance or
proximity to lakes, mountains, forests, trails, etc.) is an important external fac-
tor in implementation. The next important factor is the curriculum and its im-
plementation, and this is the external factor we focus on in this study. We want
to investigate the importance of the implementation of Physical Education, the
annual curriculum, structured preparation and other forms of implementation
of the Physical Education (school in nature and sports days) in schools for aer-
obic performance in the first three years of primary school.
Methods
A sample of participants
The study sample includes two elementary schools that are located in similar
geographic settings (lake, mountains, proximity to forests and meadows, prox-
imity and variety of safe trails, etc.) but use different methods for planning and
implementing physical education as a subject. The first is a Slovenian elemen-
tary school where 105 hours of physical education and 5 sports days are sys-
tematically planned each year and included in the annual curriculum; the sec-
ond is an Austrian elementary school where 105 hours of physical education
are planned in the first and second grades and 70 hours of physical education
are planned in the third grade, and no sports days are planned in any grade,
and again there is a loose annual plan for physical education without prepara-
tion of individual sports lessons. Only healthy students from both elementary
