Effects of a classroom-based randomized control trial to promote children’s physical literacy: The alphyl study secondary outcomes

The current study evaluates the secondary outcomes of the Active Learning in Physical Literacy (ALPHYL) randomized controlled trial; a classroom-based intervention aimed at enhancing children's physical literacy through physically active learning (PAL) and quality physical education (PE). A total of 332 fifth-grade students (51.8% girls; mean age: 10.8 years) from six schools were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The 9-10-week intervention included daily PAL activities and quality PE lessons, guided by the SAAFE principles. Multilevel linear models assessed outcomes across four domains of physical literacy: physical, psychological, social, and cognitive. Significant group-by-time interaction effects were found for cardiovascular endurance, light PA, and task-involving climate. The experimental group showed improvements in cardiovascular endurance and maintained light PA levels, while a decline in perceived task-involving climate was observed. No significant effects were detected in psychological, or cognitive variables, although descriptive data indicated high enjoyment in school among the experimental group. The ALPHYL intervention improved physical and behavioural aspects of physical literacy, supporting its role in promoting cardiovascular fitness and active behaviours. The findings underscore the importance of long-term, comprehensive strategies to foster holistic child development through school-based PA.