For better or worse? – The effects of physical education on child development

Michael Knaus, Michael Lechner and Anne K. Reimers

Labour Economics, 2020, vol. 67, issue C

Abstract: This study analyses the effects of regular physical education at school on academic achievements, non-cognitive skills, motor skills, physical activity, and health. It is based on a very informative data set, the German Motorik-Modul, and identifies the effect by using variation in the required numbers of physical education lessons across German federal states. The results suggest improvements in academic achievements. Boys’ non-cognitive skills are adversely affected driven by increased peer relation problems. For girls, the results show improvements in motor skills and increased extra-curricular physical activities. Generally, we find no statistically significant effects on health parameters.

Keywords: Physical education; Academic achievements; Non-cognitive skills; Motor skills; Physical activity; Health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 I26 Z28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Working Paper: For Better or Worse? The Effects of Physical Education on Child Development (2018)
Working Paper: For better or worse? – The Effects of Physical Education on Child Development (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:labeco:v:67:y:2020:i:c:s0927537120301081

DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2020.101904

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