Structured-Tempo Rhythmic Motor Activity in Physical Education and Its Associations with Children's Independent Learning and Decision-Making

This study examined the associations between structured rhythmic movement performed at fixed tempos and independent learning and decision-making skills in children within physical education lessons. Over a 14-week intervention, children participated in rhythmic motor activities delivered at a slower structured tempo (30 BPM) or a faster structured tempo (60BPM), while a control group followed standard physical education practices. Both tempo conditions were associated with improvements in independent learning skills at the metacognitive, affective, and cognitive dimension levels. The slower tempo condition showed relatively greater improvements in affective and self-regulatory learning dimensions, whereas the faster tempo condition was associated with comparatively greater gains in cognitive learning dimensions. In decision-making, both tempo conditions were associated with reductions in dependent decision-making and increases in ability-based decision-making tendencies. These findings indicate that tempo-structured rhythmic movement may be associated with learning- and decision-related skill dimensions that are conceptually linked to executive-function–related processes in children. Trial registration: NCT07147686