WWC Quick Review: Recess and Classroom Behavior Study April 2009

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What is this study about?

This study examined whether providing daily recess to third graders improves their classroom behavior.

The study analyzed a nationally representative sample of over 10,000 students enrolled in third grade during the 2001–02 school year. These data were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 (ECLS–K).

The authors analyzed data from teacher questionnaires on teachers’ assessments of their classrooms’ behavior.

The study measured effects by examining teachers’ ratings of their classrooms’ behavior, comparing the ratings from teachers whose students were offered daily recess with the ratings from teachers whose students were not offered daily recess.

What did the study authors report?

The study reported that teachers rated their classrooms’ behavior more favorably when their students were offered daily recess.

The WWC does not consider these results to be conclusive because the research groups were not equivalent initially. The reported differences in behavior between the groups might reflect differences in the students that are not related to the amount of recess they were offered.

WWC quick reviews are based on the evidence published in the report cited and rely on effect sizes and significance levels as reported by study authors. WWC does not confirm study authors’ findings or contact authors for additional information about the study. The WWC rating refers only to the results summarized above and not necessarily to all results presented in the study.