The Effect of the Brain Breaks Physical Activity Program on Task Focus, Attentional Control, and Academic Achievement in 4th Grade Elementary School Students

This study examined the effects of Brain Breaks (BB) physical activity videos on fourth-grade students’ on-task behavior, attentional control, and short-term academic achievement. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test control group design was employed with 49 students from a private school in Türkiye (experimental n = 24; control n = 25). Over four weeks, the experimental group participated in 48 BB sessions integrated into classroom instruction. Data collection included minute-by-minute observations of on-task behavior, the Attentional Control Scale for Children, and brief quizzes in Mathematics and Social Studies. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and paired sample t-tests. Descriptive analyses of on-task behavior revealed consistently higher initial engagement following BB sessions, particularly within the first few minutes of classroom activities. A significant Time × Group interaction was observed for attentional control, indicating greater improvement in the experimental group over time. In terms of academic outcomes, Social Studies scores increased significantly following the intervention, whereas no significant change was observed in Mathematics scores. Overall, the findings suggest that BB activities may support short-term attentional engagement and attentional control, with subject-specific effects on academic performance. These results highlight the potential of BB as a practical classroom strategy to enhance students’ readiness to engage in learning tasks.