Running head: RECESS PROMOTION

Evidence Synthesis: Recess Promotion and Classroom Behavior

Evelyn Babaroudi and Peter Wallace
Touro University Nevada

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Research Question:
How does the frequency and duration of recess affect classroom behavior and academic
success of school-aged children?
APA Reference:
Barros, R. M., Silver, E. J., & Stein, R. E. (2009). School recess and group classroom behavior.
Pediatrics, 123(2), 431-436.
How does this study relate to your research question?
The Barros, Silver, and Stein (2009) article relates to our research question because the
study examined childrens classroom behavior in response to recess length. The researchers
found that children assigned to longer recess periods scored higher on the Teachers Rating of
Classroom Behavior (TRCB) and a teachers questionnaire that assessed classroom academic
level. This suggests that recess may play a fundamental role in childrens social and academic
success.
How does this study relate to your research question?
The Barros, Silver, and Stein (2009) article relates to our research question because the
study examined childrens classroom behavior in response to recess length. The researchers
found that children assigned to longer recess periods scored higher on the Teachers Rating of
Classroom Behavior (TRCB) and a teachers questionnaire that assessed classroom academic
level. This suggests that recess may play a fundamental role in childrens social and academic
success.

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What is the purpose of the study?
The purpose of the Barros et al. (2009) study was to evaluate the effects of recess length
on classroom behavior and academic success among children eight to nine years of age.
Play is recognized as an important occupation of children. According to the literature review of
Barros et al. (2009), unstructured play is essential for helping children reach important social,
emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones. Play is also a way in which children manage
stress, so free play is important at home and at school. The Barros et al. (2009) article suggests
that adequate recess helps children be more attentive to academic tasks.
What is the design/type of study? What is the level of evidence?
Although the Barros et al. (2009) article does not specify what type of design was used,
one could deduce that it was a quasi-experimental study because it did not use a pre-post test
design and there was no random assignment of participants to the groups. The study utilized data
obtained from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study had a control groups and intervention
groups.
How many participants? all together and in each group if applicable.
The researchers of the article reported that there were 10,301 to 11,624 children between
the ages of 8 to 9, depending on the variables analyzed.
How were the participants recruited and selected?
The researchers compiled and analyzed data obtained from the Early Childhood
Longitudinal Study (ECLS) for children between 8 to 9 years of age. This article did not mention
how the participants were originally selected for the ECLS. However, the data included student
records and responses from teachers and principals in order to analyze the classroom learning
environment and classroom behaviors of children with different recess exposure.

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If applicable, how were participants assigned to groups?

The participants were assigned into groups according to recess exposure, which was
categorized into six groups: one/minimal, little recess, more recess, a lot of recess, minimal
recess/lunch, and recess/lunch greater than 30 minutes.
How are the participants described demographics e.g. diagnosis, age, gender, race
The participants were children eight to nine years of age. The ratio between males and
females was fairly equal, and school regions were well-distributed among four different regions
of the United States: Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. In regards to race and ethnicity, it
was a good representation of the United States population. The researchers included a wide range
of demographics, including socioeconomic status, classroom size, parental education, and
proportion of students above grade level per classroom size.
Independent and dependent variables and measures.
The independent variable was the frequency and duration of recess. The dependent
variable was classroom behavior, measured by TRCB, and academic success, measured by the
proportion of students in the classroom above grade level in reading and math.
If applicable, what is the intervention?
There was no specific intervention other than more time for recess defined by Barros et
al. (2009) as active free play at school.
What statistical analyses were used?
The study used a Chi-square test to analyze child, parent, and school characteristics of
children exposed to none/minimal break compared to those exposed to other levels of recess
frequency and duration, and an independent t-test was used to analyze the TRCB scores

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compared to children with and without recess (p < .001 for none/minimal break versus all other
recess groups).
What are the findings?
The Barros et al. (2009) article found that school recess of 15 minutes or longer was
associated with better TRCB scores, and suggested that recess may play an important role in
learning, social development, and many other areas of appropriate childhood development. A pvalue of less than 0.001 was reported for no recess or minimal recess versus all other recess
groups.
Do these findings support the hypothesis?
The research findings of the study support the hypothesis that children who received
recess would behave better in the classroom than those who did not receive recess (measured as a
group) because children who received recess had significantly better TRCB scores.
How do the findings relate to previous research as described in the literature review?
Past research on the effects of recess on childrens academic performance highlights
childrens increased ability to focus and attend to the teacher and on tasks following recess.
Three specific studies were conducted that supported the view that recess exposure enhances a
childs developmental potential. For example, the first study found that a group of fourth-graders
whose recess was delayed experienced elevated levels of fidgetiness and lower levels of
attentiveness, perhaps because the opportunity to take a break and engage in physical activity
allows for the release of energy. In a second study, researchers found that students exhibit lower
levels of attention prior to recess than after recess. They also showed that children were more
inattentive when recess was delayed. Further, in a third study that was conducted in a school that
did not have recess, students were provided with recess on a random schedule. The study

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documented childrens behaviors prior to and following recess and showed that students display
higher levels of attention and lower levels of fidgetiness following recess. This body of research
supports the notion that students are highly responsive to recess exposure by displaying
appropriate classroom behaviors.
Does the author state any clinical implications for the findings?
One clinical implication of the finding is that greater exposure to recess may in fact
promote a childs developmental potential. The study emphasizes the important role of a
pediatrician in a childs overall health and well-being, and suggests that they promote recess as a
significant component of childhood by highlighting that play is fundamental to a childs
developmental potential. The study further suggests that pediatricians advocate for the
implementation of recess or free play in school, as well as in after-school programs. Pediatricians
can further promote and support recess by advising families to research the recess and physical
activity that different schools offer before enrolling their child in a program.
What are the limitations that the author identifies?
A critical point in the study was that recess exposure plays an important role in childrens
learning and social development. While plausible, the study did not demonstrate differences
among recess groups. In regards to teachers questionnaires, a formal definition of recess was not
provided, which allowed teachers to complete the questionnaire with their own interpretation of
the term. Another fundamental issue that this study leaves unresolved is whether the
interpretation of classroom behavior is driven by the teachers feelings about recess. When
teachers respond to the childrens classroom behavior, their responses may include potential bias.
For instance, teachers may evaluate their students behaviors differently if they value or mutually
benefit from this break in their schedule. Further, the data that was collected was based on

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children between the ages of 8 to 9 years. This study did not analyze data for all school-aged
children, which limits the generalizability of the findings and whether the claims hold across
different groups of the population.
Does the author discuss implications for future research?
Focusing on the proper balance between structured time or class and recess/physical
activity for healthy development is one potentially growing area for future research. The
researchers also discuss implications for future research on the implementation of no-recess
policies and its effects on student behavior and academic performance.
What would you say about the sample size? Do you think it is adequate?
The Barros et al. (2009) study had a very large sample size, ranging from 10,301 to 11,624
children, depending on the variables analyzed. The sample size is an adequate statistical
representation of the population of eight to nine year old children attending school in the United
States.
If the researcher did not find a significant difference between the groups, is it possible that
this is due to a Type II error? If so, why do you think so?
The researchers found a significant difference between no recess or minimal recess and the five
other recess groups. The p-values were less than 0.001 for none/minimal recess versus the five
other recess groups. None or minimal recess was defined as one recess of less than 15 minutes or
no recess.

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Is there a control or comparison group? If so, is the control or comparison group
comparable to the experimental group on key features?
The study utilized a comparison group, and all the groups were equivalent in all factors other
than recess duration and/or frequency. All groups analyzed were comparable in age and in
proportions of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, and parental education.
Although the Barros et al. (2009) article does not specify what type of design was used or how
the participants were selected, it can be assumed that this study was a quasi-experimental study
because it did not use a pre-post test design.
Are those administering the outcome measures blind to group assignment?
Self-administered questionnaires were utilized to gather data on group classroom behavior from
teachers and school administrators. Those administering the outcome measures were not blind to
group assignment as information on the frequency and duration of recess per day was used to
generate a variable to categorize students into two levels: non/minimal break and some recess.
This suggests that researchers were not blinded to group assignment.
Are the participants blind to group assignment?
Although the Barros et al. (2009) article does not specify what type of design was used or how
the participants were selected, it can be assumed that the participants were blind to information
about the test that may have led to bias. The researchers utilized data from the Early Childhood
Longitudinal Study (ECLS), and the researchers did not mention if the children were aware of
the purpose of the study.
Does the researcher account for drop-outs in the study? Could drop outs have influenced
the outcomes?
The researchers did not indicate any drop-outs in the study.

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Does the researcher report reliability and validity of the outcome measures? Are there
questions about the outcome measures chosen?
The Barros et al. (2009) article did not provide any reliability or validity details about the
TRCB questionnaire, which was the measure used for classroom behavior.
What confounding factors could contribute to or influence the study outcomes?
The Barros et al. (2009) study considered many confounding variables, such as class
size, gender, parental income, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, school location, and school type.
Any of these confounding variables could potentially affect the dependent variable in a negative
or positive way, so the researchers controlled confounding variables using multivariate
regression and other statistical analysis.
What are the major strengths of this study? (list 3)
There were various strengths to this research study. First, the researchers used six levels
of exposure to recess to determine its effects on classroom behavior. Initially, there were two
levels of recess exposure: none/minimal break and some recess, however some recess was then
subcategorized into 5 levels: little recess, more recess, a lot of recess, minimal recess/lunch, and
recess/lunch greater than 30 minutes. This provided the opportunity to further assess the impact
of recess by taking into consideration the length of recess, specifically frequency and duration.
Further, the study was a secondary analysis of public-use data, which provided extensive
demographic, parental, and school information of the students who received no/minimal break
and those who had some recess. Another strength of the study was the equal ratio of gender

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(boys: 50.3%), which is important as elementary-aged boys are typically more hyperactive than
girls.
What are the major weaknesses of the study? (list 3)
Although the Barros et al. (2009) article did provide a sufficient sample size for children
eight to nine years old, the study would have benefited from a larger sample size that included all
ages of children from kindergarten to fifth grade. In addition to this, the literature review in the
study defined adequate recess as equal two or greater than 20 minutes, but their data was
recorded in periods of 15 minutes. Further, teacher questionnaires were used to document the
effect of recess exposure on group classroom behavior as opposed to individual classroom
behavior. This can be a potential flaw of the study as groups may have not been equivalent.
Therefore, it is inconclusive as to whether observed differences in behaviors resulted from
treatment. For example, one classroom may have had more students with behavioral issues than
another classroom.
How would you use this article as a therapist?
The Barros et al. (2009) article suggests that children who receive a recess of 15 minutes
or longer exhibit better classroom behavior. The article further suggests that recess may play an
important role in learning, social development, and proper development. The articles literature
review suggests that children may perform better in school if they receive two or more recesses
of at least 15 minutes. Therapist can use this article, and others like it, to advocate recess in
school. Since a childs two major occupations are play and formal education, a therapist could
use this knowledge to increase childrens performance in school related activities. Children with

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behavioral disorders, such as ADHD and Autism, may be able to improve their classroom
behavior if they are allowed to take more frequent recess breaks, so therapists can encourage
teachers and schools to allow more time for free play and recess breaks.

How does this article support/not support participation in occupation and the field of
occupational therapy?
The Barros et al. (2009) study provides research on how a childs levels of exposure to
physical activity can influence their focus and attention. The study concluded that children with
more exposure to recess are better able to self-regulate and attend to the teacher and to tasks
presented in class. In addition, the study uniquely demonstrates the valuable occupations of play
and education, and how they are inherently linked. This implies that effects of one occupation
can transact to further support or hinder participation in a separate occupation. The Barros et al.
(2009) study supports the field of occupational therapy as school-based therapists play an
important role in promoting a childs academic success and social participation. Lack of
exposure to physical activity may affect a childs development and thus, inhibit their ability to
participate successfully in different occupations. This article addresses the need for play, and
how different health practitioners can play an important role in advocating for recess and
playground time. Recess provides the opportunity for children to release their energy and
recharge, both physically and mentally, which plays an important role in learning.

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References
Barros, R. M., Silver, E. J., & Stein, R. E. (2009). School recess and group classroom behavior.
Pediatrics, 123(2), 431-436.