The Level of Students’ Participation in Sports and Extracurricular Activities Following Educational Programs on Virtual Networks

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way millions of people around the world learn and teach, and innovation in education could provide ways to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has brought about significant changes to the education system. This study aimed to investigate the level of students’ participation in sports and extracurricular activities following participation in online educational programs in Guilan Province. Methods and Materials: The statistical population of this study was all boys’ and girls’ students in elementary (boys: 71,707, girls: 70,646), middle school (boys: 47,124, girls: 45,293) and high school (boys: 42,051, girls: 42,322) in Guilan Province. A total of 1035 questionnaires were filled out and collected by boy students, and 983 questionnaires were filled out and collected by girl students. The data collection method was a virtual questionnaire using the online questionnaire (Porsline site), and the information was collected by completing the questionnaire in a self-report manner; also, their demographic characteristics were recorded. Since the target population in this study was students, the questionnaires were completed under the supervision and with the help of their parents. Findings: The results showed that 71% of students did not engage in regular physical activity before participating in physical activities following the educational programs on virtual networks. After participating in the educational programs on virtual networks, 59% of students did physical exercises, and 41% were inactive. The changes in the average physical activity of boys and girls in elementary school, middle school, and high school were significant (p ˂ 0.05). Their average physical activity increased, and their light activity decreased significantly due to their participation in educational programs on virtual networks (p ˂ 0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that educational programs on virtual networks can have a positive effect on students' physical activity levels and weight. In similar conditions, online and virtual training play a significant role in advancing goals and ensuring the health and well-being of students during remote learning periods.