Effects of high tempo, asynchronous music on participation and morale in physical education

Abstract

Physical inactivity is a significant problem in our nation, and physical education is a possible avenue to address this issue. This research sought to explore the use of music as a tool in physical education to increase participation and morale and potentially promote physical activity outside the school day. The effects of music were studied on middle school students in regular physical education classes. The study took place across three units of instruction: fitness games, floor hockey, and basketball. There were three groups, including the control (no music) and two treatment groups (high tempo instrumental and popular music with lyrics). Participation and morale were measured through the use of pedometers, daily surveys, and unit surveys. After running an ANOVA, the results of the pedometer steps and survey responses showed no significant differences across the groups in any unit in the study. Also, when standardizing each student’s individual scores and measuring them against themselves across the treatments, no significant differences were found. This study did not find that music was the answer to increasing participation or morale in physical education. Although a majority of participants stated they would prefer music during the next unit of instruction, the data showed that music had no affect on participation or morale in physical education.