Evaluation of Aim to Play, a User-Friendly Digital Application for Teacher Skills Training and Physical Education Activities for 3-5 Grade Students

NCT07203313 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: R44DP006743
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 1,872
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the newly developed Pocket PE 3-5 app, designed for use by teachers of 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-grade students. Researchers will compare teachers and students in classrooms using the Pocket PE app with those in classrooms not using the app. The main question it aims to answer is:

• Does the use of the Pocket PE 3-5 app improve classroom teacher PE self-efficacy and high-quality PE teaching behaviors, and promote students' moderate-to-vigorous physical activity participation in PE, as well as PE enjoyment and self-efficacy, compared to teachers who do not use Pocket PE 3-5? Participants will:
• Randomly use Pocket PE 3-5 (12 intervention schools) for at least one PE class weekly, or not (12 control schools), for 12 consecutive weeks during the 2025/26 school year.
• Teachers will complete short surveys at 0 weeks (pre), 6 weeks (mid), and 13 weeks (post). Teachers in the intervention condition will complete a longer survey at 13 weeks (post-intervention) to provide feedback on the Pocket PE app. A random sub-sample of teachers in the intervention condition will be asked to participate in an exit interview to give additional input on Pocket PE 3-5 after the intervention has been completed.
• Students will complete brief surveys after PE classes at pre, mid, and post, and will wear wrist heart rate monitors during observed PE classes at these timepoints to measure their physical activity during PE. We will also evaluate the level of implementation of Pocket PE 3-5 among teachers via class observations and objective data collected by the app.

Conditions

Teacher Self-efficacy for Teaching PE; Teacher PE Instruction; Student PE Enjoyment; Student Physical Activity; Student PE Satisfaction

Keywords

physical activity; physical education; elementary school; children

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Teaching Physical Activity (PE) Self Efficacy

  This is a 20-item survey assessing the self-efficacy for PE instruction scale, adapted from Humphries, Daigle, \& Martin (2012). Each item is on a 10-point scale (1 = disagree/cannot do, 5 = neutral/moderate certainty, 10 = agree/highly certain can do). Items are summed for a score that can range from 20 to 200, with a higher score indicating higher levels of teacher physical activity self-efficacy.

  Pre (0 weeks), mid (6 weeks after pre), and post (13 weeks after pre)

• System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT)

  The SOFIT assesses physical education classes by obtaining simultaneous, objective observational data on student activity levels, the context in which they occur, and how teachers interact to promote physical activity and fitness during physical education. Student activity levels include the percent of time a student is in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (% MVPA = intervals with codes 4 or 5) ÷ (total intervals) × 100) and percent of time the student is in vigorous activity (% VA = %VPA = (intervals with code 5) ÷ (total intervals) × 100). Interval 4 = walking/moderate, and interval 5 = vigorous. The context in which the activity can occur is summarized at a percentage of time in: M (general content: management/transition/break), K (knowledge), and the motor-content categories F (fitness), S (skill practice), G (game play), O (other/free play).

  Pre (0 weeks), mid (6 weeks after pre), and post (13 weeks after pre)

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Student physical activity

  Pre (0 weeks), mid (6 weeks after pre), and post (13 weeks after pre)

• Student PE Enjoyment

  Pre (0 weeks), mid (6 weeks after pre), and post (13 weeks after pre)

• Student PE Self-Efficacy

  Pre (0 weeks), mid (6 weeks after pre), and post (13 weeks after pre)

• Student PE Enjoymnet

  Pre (0 weeks), mid (6 weeks after pre), and post (13 weeks after pre)

Other Outcomes (5)

• Usefulness of the Pocket PE app features

  Post (13-weeks after Pre)

• Pocket PE App as a Resource for Teaching PE

  Post (13-weeks after Pre)

• Pocket PE App System Usability Scale

  Post (13-weeks after Pre)

Study Arms (2)

Pocket PE 3-5

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Digital PE teaching app

Business as usual

NO INTERVENTION

Control group

Interventions

Digital PE teaching app BEHAVIORAL

Pocket PE 3-5 is a digital app designed for 3rd - 5th grade teachers and students. It works across common platforms and devices, online and offline, and provides simple, easy to use, standards-based PE lesson activities tailored by time, instructional setting (classroom, gym, outside), grade, student skill level, and equipment resources. The app is low-cost and includes brief teacher and student skill demonstration videos for each activity, along with printable activity cards, music, and audio cues to signal transitions to assist teachers in class management with students in real time during PE. The program also includes embedded data tracking of PE minutes and completed instructional standards to assist with school and/or state mandated reporting.

Also known as: Pocket PE 3-5, Aim to Play 3-5

Pocket PE 3-5

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 7 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• A 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade teacher at a participating school responsible for teaching PE at least one time a week;
• Able to read and understand English;
• Willing to use Pocket PE to facilitate their PE class instruction for 12 weeks;
• Be able to understand the study and consent to participate
• A 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader enrolled in a participating class in a participating school;
• Able to read and understand English;
• Able to understand the study and assent to participation;

You may not qualify if:

• None

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Saavsus, Inc.: lead
• Oregon Research Institute: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Saavsus, Inc.

Eugene, Oregon, 97401, United States

RECRUITING

Oregon Research Institute

Springfield, Oregon, 97477, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Jeanette Ricci, PhD

CONTACT

530-925-1516; jeanettericci@saavsus.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 24, 2025
• First Posted: October 2, 2025
• Study Start: September 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Last Updated: October 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

US (2)