Comparing the Effect of Classical and Popular Music During Physical Activities Among Junior High School Students

Music is a big part of life. It is heard at home, work, and even in the schools. Music is a tool used in the physical education setting. It is used in all grades and in multiple activities with success. Music types played in physical education classes also vary. One type of music that has not been given much chance in physical education is classical music. For this study, popular and classical music was played in junior high school physical education classes during basketball play. Students wore pe-dometers to measure the steps taken and the time spent in the activity. In this study, 458 junior high school students in grades seventh, eighth, and ninth participated (230 males and 228 females). The junior high school students took more steps and spent more time in activities when popular music was being played. Interestingly, when classical music was played during the basketball gameplay, students had slightly lower step counts and activity time than popular music.