Upper Secondary School Students’ Experiences of How Exercise Breaks Affect their Well-being and Ability to Study: A Qualitative Study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.3210

Keywords:

Upper secondary school, Student, Break exercise, Ability to study, Well-being, School ex-haustion

Abstract

School exhaustion among upper secondary school students has increased at an alarming rate in recent years. There is evidence that this exhaustion affects students’ ability to study, and that students experience their studies as burdensome. Distance learning has further weakened students’ ability to study. This study aimed to describe upper secondary students' experiences of how exercise breaks affect their studying and well-being. The data were collected through thematic interviews with 15 first-year upper secondary students in the spring of 2021. The data were analyzed by inductive content analysis. The results indicate that exercise breaks positively influenced students’ subjective experiences of their studying ability and well-being. This insight could be relevant to planning secondary education, teacher training, and school health care, along with the development of services to support well-being among upper secondary students.

Author Biographies

Niina Fred, University of Oulu

MHSc, Physiotherapist, The Faculty of Medicine, Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

Kristina Mikkonen, Univeristy of Oulu

Kristina MIKKONEN, PhD, professor; Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Oulu; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, FinlandEmail:kristina.mikkonen@oulu.fiTwitter: @KristinamikkonORCID:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4355-3428

Sari Pramila-Savukoski

Sari PRAMILA-SAVUKOSKI, MHSc, Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu. Email: sari.pramila-savukoski@oulu.fi Twitter: @sari_pramila ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6590-1174 

Krista Hylkilä

Krista HYLKILÄ, MHSc, Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, Univeristy of Oulu, Oulu, FinlandEmail: krista.hylkila@oulu.fiTwitter: @khylkilaORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1371-0031

Heli-Maria Kuivila, University of Oulu

Heli-Maria KUIVILA, MHSc, university-teacher; Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Oulu, FinlandEmail:heli-maria.kuivila@oulu.fiORCID:  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8639-7640

References

Fred, N., Mikkonen, K., Pramila-Savukoski, S., Hylkilä, K., & Kuivila, H. (2023). Upper secondary school students’ experiences of how exercise breaks affect their well-being and ability to study: A qualitative study. International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES), 9(3), 715-731. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.3210

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Published

2023-08-24

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Articles