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  • Study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of an intervention to reduce and break up sitting time in primary school classrooms in the UK: The CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) Programme

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Public health
Protocol
Study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of an intervention to reduce and break up sitting time in primary school classrooms in the UK: The CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) Programme
  1. Ash C Routen1,
  2. Stuart J H Biddle2,3,
  3. Danielle H Bodicoat4,5,
  4. Lorraine Cale1,
  5. Stacy Clemes1,
  6. Charlotte L Edwardson4,5,
  7. Cris Glazebrook6,
  8. Deirdre M Harrington4,5,
  9. Kamlesh Khunti4,5,
  10. Natalie Pearson1,
  11. Jo Salmon7,
  12. Lauren B Sherar1
  1. 1School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
  2. 2Active Living & Public Health, Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living (ISEAL), Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  3. 3Institute for Resilient Regions, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Queensland, Australia
  4. 4Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
  5. 5The Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, Leicester and Loughborough, UK
  6. 6School of Medicine, Division of Psychiatry and Applied Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
  7. 7Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Dr Lauren B Sherar; L.B.Sherar{at}lboro.ac.uk

Abstract

Introduction Children engage in a high volume of sitting in school, particularly in the classroom. A number of strategies, such as physically active lessons (termed movement integration (MI)), have been developed to integrate physical activity into this learning environment; however, no single approach is likely to meet the needs of all pupils and teachers. This protocol outlines an implementation study of a primary school-based MI intervention: CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) programme. This study aims to (A) determine the degree of implementation of CLASS PAL, (B) identify processes by which teachers and schools implement CLASS PAL and (C) investigate individual (pupil and teacher) level and school-level characteristics associated with implementation of CLASS PAL.

Methods and analysis The intervention will provide teachers with a professional development workshop and a bespoke teaching resources website. The study will use a single group before-and-after design, strengthened by multiple interim measurements. Six state-funded primary schools will be recruited within Leicestershire, UK.

Evaluation data will be collected prior to implementation and at four discrete time points during implementation: At measurement 0 (October 2016), school, teacher and pupil characteristics will be collected. At measurements 0 and 3 (June–July 2017), accelerometry, cognitive functioning, self-reported sitting and classroom engagement data will be collected. At measurements 1(December 2016–March 2017) and 3 , teacher interviews (also at measurement 4; September–October 2017) and pupil focus groups will be conducted, and at measurements 1 and 2 (April–May 2017), classroom observations. Implementation will be captured through website analytics and ongoing teacher completed logs.

Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was obtained through the Loughborough University Human Participants Ethics Sub-Committee (Reference number: R16-P115). Findings will be disseminated via practitioner and/or research journals and to relevant regional and national stakeholders through print and online media and dissemination event(s).

  • physical activity
  • classroom
  • school
  • intervention
  • implementation

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt and build upon this work, for commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019428

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @ashrouten @LaurenSherar1

    • Contributors LBS, SJHB, DHB, CLE, CG, DMH, KK, JS and NP initially conceived the original study concept and design and obtained funding from the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care East Midlands (CLAHRC EM). LBS and ACR wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All listed authors made substantial contributions to enhance the concept and design. All authors contributed to manuscript editing and critical comments. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

    • Funding This research is funded by the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care East Midlands (CLAHRC EM).

    • Disclaimer The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Ethics approval Loughborough University Human Participants Ethics Sub-Committee.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; peer reviewed for ethical and funding approval prior to submission.