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This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effects of an 8-week cognitively enriched playful physical activity program on executive functions and school readiness in preschool children. Participants are assigned to either an experimental group receiving structured cognitively engaging movement activities or a control group receiving standard physical education.
This single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial investigates the effects of a structured Playful Physical Activities (PPA) program on executive functions and school readiness in preschool children aged 5 years. Participants are randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving cognitively enriched physical activity sessions or a control group receiving standard physical education with equivalent frequency and duration. The intervention is conducted over 8 weeks (3 sessions/week, 60 minutes/session). Outcomes include inhibitory control, visuospatial memory, planning, and school readiness domains (mathematical, linguistic, and social competence), assessed at baseline and post-intervention.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playful Physical Activities (PPA) Program | Experimental | A structured program integrating cognitive challenges (inhibition, working memory, planning) into movement-based activities delivered 3 times per week for 8 weeks (60 minutes/session). |
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| Standard Physical Education | Other | Regular preschool physical education consisting of free play and age-appropriate activities without structured cognitive engagement, matched for frequency and duration. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playful Physical Activities | Behavioral | Receives cognitively enriched movement-based intervention |
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| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Executive function performance | Executive function performance will be assessed using standardized neuropsychological measures, including inhibitory control (Go/No-Go task; error rate), Performance is quantified as the number of commission errors (responses to No-Go stimuli). Lower error rates indicate better inhibitory control. | Baseline (pre-intervention) and Week 8 (post-intervention) |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Visuospatial memory (BVMT-R immediate recall) | Visuospatial memory will be assessed using the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) immediate recall condition. Performance is based on accuracy and spatial placement of reproduced figures. | Baseline and Week 8 |
| Visuospatial memory (BVMT-R delayed recall) |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
Neurological or developmental disorders
Sensory impairments
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| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Manouba | Manouba | Tunisia |
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Participants are randomly assigned to either a cognitively enriched physical activity program or standard physical education.
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Outcome assessors are blinded to group allocation; participants and instructors are not blinded.
| Standard Physical Education Group | Behavioral | Receives usual physical education curriculum |
|
Delayed visuospatial memory will be assessed using the BVMT-R delayed recall condition, measuring retention and reproduction of previously presented figures after a delay period. |
| Baseline and Week 8 |
| Planning and visuospatial organization (RCFT copy score) | Planning ability and visuospatial organization will be assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT). Performance is quantified using standardized scoring based on accuracy and organization. | Baseline and Week 8 |
| Linguistic competence | Linguistic competence will be assessed through tasks evaluating vocabulary, categorization, and verbal instruction-following abilities. Higher scores indicate better language skills. | Baseline and Week 8 |
| Social competence (QECS) | Social competence will be assessed using the Social and Emotional Competencies Evaluation Questionnaire (QACSE; Questionnaire d'Évaluation des Compétences Sociales et Émotionnelles), a 39-item instrument comprising five domains: self-control, social awareness, relationship skills, social isolation, and social anxiety.Each item is rated on a Likert scale, and total scores are calculated by summing item responses. Scores range from [39 to 156] (depending on the response scale used). Higher scores indicate better social and emotional competencies, except for negatively oriented subscales (e.g., social anxiety and social isolation), which are reverse-coded prior to total score calculation. | Baseline and Week 8 |