Accessible resistance movement experiences for elementary students and educators

Citation

Murray A, Murray P & Howells K (2023) Accessible resistance movement experiences for elementary students and educators [I Can Resist]. In: Resistance Training. 1st ed. Online: Intechopen. https://www.intechopen.com/

Abstract
What is meant by accessible resistance movement and why is the elementary education phase proposed as such a superb period in a child’s life to gain competence and knowledge using resistance activity? This chapter presents a case and a means to do just that. The resistance program is called “ I Can Resist”. It is shared with accompanying pedagogical methods to scaffold learning and progress motor competence and biomotor fitness (agility that improves health through skill related fitness). Interleaved through this are ways to increase self management in how to participate in and create meaningful ways to improve targeted benefits. I Can Resist is designed for novice to more experienced, participant and tutor alike. It was developed primarily for physical education supporting national curricular policy and implementation as regards knowledge and fitness outcomes (Murray, 2013, 2014). It then was extended beyond the curriculum expectation in order to encourage greater use of the available affordances beyond the curriculum. As such it’s means to work through the progressions are just as important as the actual acquiring content and movement competences. Current findings are examined and insights for implementation are offered. Research wise, the program has been piloted and then implemented across a variety of state and private educational school settings spanning elementary through lower secondary phases in Europe and North America. The content is first evaluated with elementary (and middle school) children (N=1000) during Physical Education curricular time through an experimentally controlled study (Murray, et al., 2019). This targets statutory health and skill related outcomes. Focus then shifts to consider and evaluate ways the developmental series can be introduced during PE for the purpose of facilitating extra curricular peer led participation (voluntary). When provided explicit mentoring during PE to support peers on how to initiate and support physical activity participation through recess, participating children (N=800) across lower and upper elementary, significantly increased their metacognitive awareness (self-management capacity) and motivation to participate in resistance tasks when integrated through peer led play (Murray et al., 2020). Furthermore, health and skill related knowledge is found to significantly improve (Murray and Napper-Owen, 2021) when implemented through a metacognitive building pedagogy. The “I Can Resist” program is underpinned and show cased as interwoven with the means to develop agentic thinking and action. The ecological approach is contextually adaptable.