doi no.: 05-2016-44975451; 

AFFILIATIONS:

1. Head, Dept. of Physical Education, Naipunnya Institute of Management and Information    Technology, Thrissur, Kerala, India-680308
2. Professor, Dept. of Physical Education, Kerala  Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala, India-680656;
3. Principal, Adi Sankara Training College, Kalady, Kerala, India-683574, E-mail: arjunamendall@gmail.com

The study aims to find out the effectiveness of a Structured Physical Education Programme (SPEP) on academic achievement of elementary school children, and further to explore the differential influence of gender and age of the students on the effectiveness of SPEP on academic performance. The experimental study adopted a pretest post-test design with a control group for collecting data fromsix intact classes (n = 171) of students in the age range 10-12 years, studying in fifth, sixth and seventh grades. Two classes from each grade level were selected, one as control group and the other as experimental group. Pre-intervention and post-intervention measurement of academic achievement was done one weeks before and one week after the treatment with the help of teacher made achievement tests. The experimental intervention comprised of 48 classes each of average 40 minutes duration, delivered at the rate of three classes per week. The success of SPEP on academic achievement was find out by ANCOVA. The gain scores were compared by using t-test and one way ANOVA to find out the influence of gender and age on the success of SPEPon academic performance. The results showed that structured physical education is effective in enhancing academic performance of elementary schoolers. Neither gender nor age of the learner exert any significant influence on the success of SPEP on academic achievement.

Keywords: Structured,  physical education, Physical Education Programme, Academic  achievement, Differential influence.

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