Effects of a short-term circuit training program on aerobic endurance and agility in international baccalaureate primary year program physical, social, and personal education

Abstract

Background. Physical literacy development in elementary students is critical for establishing lifelong physical activity habits. Yet more than 80% of youth fail to meet WHO physical activity guidelines. The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) emphasizes holistic development through Physical, Social, and Personal Education (PSPE), recognizing that developing physical literacy helps foster essential concepts, knowledge, attitudes, and skills. However, the revised 2018 PSPE Scope and Sequence document appears to shift emphasis away from skills acquisition and physical competency development toward inquiry-based learning and cognitive development. Research on the effectiveness of structured physical training within students in international schools that implement the IB PYP remains limited. This study investigated the impact of a short-term circuit training program on aerobic endurance and agility in Grade 4 and 5 students (mean age = 10.3 ± 0.6 years) at an international school following the PYP. Methods. A total of 51 students (29 females, 22 males; mean age = 10.3 ± 0.6 years) participated in an eight-class intervention study. The participants represented 21 nationalities with varying school enrollment durations from 0.2 years to 6.7 years. The intervention consisted of six circuit training sessions featuring eight exercises performed for 45 seconds each over three sets, with one-minute rest between sets. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted to evaluate fitness improvements, with paired t-tests and two-way mixed ANOVAs examining training effects on aerobic endurance and agility. Aerobic endurance was measured by the 20-Meter Pacer Test, and agility was assessed using the T-Test. Results. Significant improvements were observed in both aerobic endurance and agility across all participants. The average number of laps completed in the 20-Meter Pacer Test increased from 30.55 ± 14.68 to 39.80 ± 16.02 (p < 0.001), while the T-Test completion time improved from 15.89 ± 1.42 seconds to 15.04 ± 1.43 seconds (p < 0.001). These improvements were consistent across gender and grade-level subgroups. Conclusions. The findings suggest that within the PYP framework, a brief, well-structured circuit training program can lead to meaningful improvements in aerobic endurance and agility among upper elementary students. These results support the integration of targeted fitness interventions into inquiry-based PSPE curricula to promote the physical development and overall well-being of upper elementary-aged students.