CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 19Children's Physical and Motor DevelopmentPhysical Education and PedagogyPhysical Education and Training Studies

The Correlation between Motor Skill Proficiency and Academic Performance in High School Students

Open access
Ramos-Campo, Domingo Jesús, Clemente-Suárez, Vicente Javier·2024·Behavioral Sciences
DOI 10.3390/bs14070592PMC PMC11273920
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

The intricate relationship between physical health and cognitive development has been a focal point of multidisciplinary research, suggesting that motor skill proficiency could influence academic outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between motor control, mobility, stability—measured by the Functional Movement Screen (FMS)—and academic performance among high school students. Conducted with 201 participants from a public high school in Spain, this descriptive non-experimental research divided students into high and low academic performance groups based on their average grade scores, with the median used as the criterion for distinction. The FMS was utilized to assess fundamental motor skills, and academic performance was verified across mathematics, language, science, and physical education subjects. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between the FMS scores and academic achievement (r = 0.691; p < 0.001), indicating that students with higher motor skill proficiency had higher academic achievement. This correlation persisted across the various subjects, highlighting the potential benefits of integrating physical education and motor skill development into educational strategies. The study’s results suggest that educational policies should advocate for comprehensive physical education programs to foster both physical well-being and academic improvement, thereby promoting a holistic educational model that enhances student performance across disciplines.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.3390/bs14070592

Cites

6 of 6 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • These low learning outcomes are often correlated with students' lack of emotional and motor involvement in the learning process.

    “These low learning outcomes are often correlated with students' lack of emotional and motor involvement in the learning process (Ramos-Campo & Clemente-Suárez, 2024).”

    From Show and Tell Learning Method Based on the Discovery Learning Model: Creativity and Learning Outcomes at Primary School (2025) · cites this paper as Ramos-Campo & Clemente-Suárez, 2024

    The Discussion reports that the low-academic-performance group had lower motor-skill scores than the high-performance group, supporting a correlation between motor proficiency and academic outcomes. It does not establish that students lacked motor involvement in the learning process, and the cited passages do not address emotional involvement. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 43

  1. [1]Redondo-Flórez L. Ramos-Campo D.J. Clemente-Suárez V.J. Body Composition, Psychological, Cardiovascular, and Physical Activity Factors Related with Academic School Performance Sustainability 2021 13 8775 10.3390/su13168775 · DOI
  2. [2]Redondo-Flórez L. Ramos-Campo D.J. Clemente-Suárez V.J. Relationship between physical fitness and academic performance in university students Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022 19 14750 10.3390/ijerph192214750 36429470 PMC9690464 · DOI
  3. [3]Beltrán-Velasco A.I. Diaz-Manzano M. Clemente-Suárez V.J. Psychophysiological stress markers of students and academic performance Physiol. Behav. 2021 234 113385 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113385 33684409 · DOI
  4. [5]Singh A. Uijtdewilligen L. Twisk J.W. van Mechelen W. Chinapaw M.J. Physical activity and performance at school: A systematic review of the literature including a methodological quality assessment Arch. Pediatr. Adolesc. Med. 2012 166 49 55 10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.716 22213750 · DOI · Paper page
  5. [6]Cook G. Burton L. Hoogenboom B. Pre-participation screening: The use of fundamental movements as an assessment of function—Part 1 N. Am. J. Sports Phys. Ther. 2006 1 62 72 21522216 PMC2953313
  6. [7]Vehrs P.R. Uvacsek M. Johnson A.W. Assessment of Dysfunctional Movements and Asymmetries in Children and Adolescents Using the Functional Movement Screen—A Narrative Review Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021 18 12501 10.3390/ijerph182312501 34886227 PMC8657295 · DOI
  7. [8]Lubans D.R. Morgan P.J. Cliff D.P. Barnett L.M. Okely A.D. Fundamental movement skills in children and adolescents: Review of associated health benefits Sports Med. 2010 40 1019 1035 10.2165/11536850-000000000-00000 21058749 · DOI · Paper page
  8. [9]Haapala E.A. Cardiorespiratory fitness and motor skills in relation to cognition and academic performance in children—A review J. Hum. Kinet. 2013 36 55 68 10.2478/hukin-2013-0006 23717355 PMC3661895 · DOI
  9. [10]Schmidt M. Egger F. Conzelmann A. Delayed positive effects of an acute bout of coordinative exercise on children’s attention Percept. Mot. Ski. 2015 121 431 446 10.2466/22.06.PMS.121c22x1 26474438 · DOI
  10. [11]Cairney J. Kwan M.Y. Hay J.A. Faught B.E. Developmental Coordination Disorder, gender, and body weight: Examining the impact of participation in active play Res. Dev. Disabil. 2012 33 1566 1573 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.02.026 22522216 · DOI
  11. [12]Macdonald K. Milne N. Orr R. Pope R. Relationships between Motor Proficiency and Academic Performance in Mathematics and Reading in School-Aged Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018 15 1603 10.3390/ijerph15081603 30060590 PMC6121293 · DOI
  12. [13]Tomporowski P.D. Lambourne K. Okumura M.S. Physical activity interventions and children’s mental function: An introduction and overview Prev. Med. 2011 52 (Suppl. S1) S3 S9 10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.01.028 21420981 PMC3160636 · DOI
  13. [15]Pesce C. Crova C. Cereatti L. Casella R. Bellucci M. Physical activity and mental performance in preadolescents: Effects of acute exercise on free-recall memory Ment. Health Phys. Act. 2009 2 16 22 10.1016/j.mhpa.2009.02.001 · DOI
  14. [18]Moran R.W. Schneiders A.G. Major K.M. Sullivan S.J. How reliable are Functional Movement Screening scores? A systematic review of rater reliability Br. J. Sports Med. 2016 50 527 536 10.1136/bjsports-2015-094913 26316583 · DOI
  15. [19]Parenteau-G E. Gaudreault N. Chambers S. Boisvert C. Grenier A. Gagné G. Balg F. Functional movement screen test: A reliable screening test for young elite ice hockey players Phys. Ther. Sport 2014 15 169 175 10.1016/j.ptsp.2013.10.001 24291023 · DOI
  16. [20]Teyhen D.S. Shaffer S.W. Lorenson C.L. Halfpap J.P. Donofry D.F. Walker M.J. Dugan J.L. Childs J.D. The functional movement screen: A reliability study J. Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther. 2012 42 530 540 10.2519/jospt.2012.3838 22585621 · DOI
  17. [21]Frost D.M. Beach T.A. Callaghan J.P. McGill S.M. FMS scores change with performers’ knowledge of the grading criteria—Are general whole-body movement screens capturing “Dysfunction”? J. Strength Cond. Res. 2015 29 3037 3044 10.1097/JSC.0000000000000211 26502271 · DOI
  18. [22]Taylor S.D. Williamson J. Evidence and Cognition Erkenntnis 2024 89 1927 1948 10.1007/s10670-022-00611-0 · DOI
  19. [24]Ünal E. Papafragou A. Relations Between Language and Cognition: Evidentiality and Sources of Knowledge Top. Cogn. Sci. 2020 12 115 135 10.1111/tops.12355 29932304 PMC7379197 · DOI
  20. [25]Minick K.I. Kiesel K.B. Burton L. Taylor A. Plisky P. Butler R.J. Interrater reliability of the functional movement screen J. Strength Cond. Res. 2010 24 479 486 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c09c04 20072050 · DOI
  21. [26]Okada T. Huxel K.C. Nesser T.W. Relationship between core stability, functional movement, and performance J. Strength Cond. Res. 2011 25 252 261 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b22b3e 20179652 · DOI
  22. [27]Aadland K.N. Moe V.F. Aadland E. Anderssen S.A. Resaland G.K. Ommundsen Y. Relationships between physical activity, sedentary time, aerobic fitness, motor skills and executive function and academic performance in children Ment. Health Phys. Act. 2017 12 10 18 10.1016/j.mhpa.2017.01.001 · DOI · Paper page
  23. [28]Vabø K.B. Aadland K.N. Howard S.J. Aadland E. The multivariate physical activity signatures associated with self-regulation, executive function, and early academic learning in 3–5-year-old children Front. Psychol. 2022 13 842271 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.842271 35478740 PMC9037291 · DOI
  24. [29]Phillips C. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, depression, and physical activity: Making the neuroplastic connection Neural Plast. 2017 2017 7260130 10.1155/2017/7260130 28928987 PMC5591905 · DOI
  25. [31]Dana A. Ranjbari S. Chaharbaghi Z. Ghorbani S. Association between Physical Activity and Motor Proficiency among Primary School Children Int. J. Sch. Health 2023 10 128 135 10.30476/intjsh.2023.98237.1295 · DOI
  26. [32]Lin T.-W. Tsai S.-F. Kuo Y.-M. Physical exercise enhances neuroplasticity and delays Alzheimer’s disease Brain Plast. 2018 4 95 110 10.3233/BPL-180073 30564549 PMC6296269 · DOI
  27. [33]de Sousa Fernandes M.S. Ordônio T.F. Santos G.C.J. Santos L.E.R. Calazans C.T. Gomes D.A. Santos T.M. Effects of physical exercise on neuroplasticity and brain function: A systematic review in human and animal studies Neural Plast. 2020 2020 8856621 10.1155/2020/8856621 33414823 PMC7752270 · DOI
  28. [34]Hötting K. Röder B. Beneficial effects of physical exercise on neuroplasticity and cognition Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 2013 37 2243 2257 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.04.005 23623982 · DOI · Paper page
  29. [35]Pickersgill J.W. Turco C.V. Ramdeo K. Rehsi R.S. Foglia S.D. Nelson A.J. The combined influences of exercise, diet and sleep on neuroplasticity Front. Psychol. 2022 13 831819 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.831819 35558719 PMC9090458 · DOI
  30. [36]Tomporowski P.D. Davis C.L. Miller P.H. Naglieri J.A. Exercise and children’s intelligence, cognition, and academic achievement Educ. Psychol. Rev. 2008 20 111 131 10.1007/s10648-007-9057-0 19777141 PMC2748863 · DOI · Paper page
  31. [37]Diamond A. Lee K. Interventions shown to aid executive function development in children 4 to 12 years old Science 2011 333 959 964 10.1126/science.1204529 21852486 PMC3159917 · DOI · Paper page
  32. [38]Phillips N.L.H. Roth T.L. Animal models and their contribution to our understanding of the relationship between environments, epigenetic modifications, and behavior Genes 2019 10 47 10.3390/genes10010047 30650619 PMC6357183 · DOI
  33. [39]Cortés Pascual A. Moyano Muñoz N. Quílez Robres A. The relationship between executive functions and academic performance in primary education: Review and meta-analysis Front. Psychol. 2019 10 449759 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01582 31354585 PMC6638196 · DOI · Paper page
  34. [40]Davis C.L. Tomporowski P.D. McDowell J.E. Austin B.P. Miller P.H. Yanasak N.E. Allison J.D. Naglieri J.A. Exercise improves executive function and achievement and alters brain activation in overweight children: A randomized, controlled trial Health Psychol. 2011 30 91 98 10.1037/a0021766 21299297 PMC3057917 · DOI · Paper page
  35. [41]Ben-Arieh A. Casas F. Frønes I. Korbin J.E. Multifaceted concept of child well-being Handbook of Child Well-Being Springer Dordrecht, The Netherlands 2014 Volume 1 1 27
  36. [43]Jylänki P. Mbay T. Hakkarainen A. Sääkslahti A. Aunio P. The effects of motor skill and physical activity interventions on preschoolers’ cognitive and academic skills: A systematic review Prev. Med. 2022 155 106948 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106948 34974071 · DOI
  37. [44]Jylänki P. Mbay T. Byman A. Hakkarainen A. Sääkslahti A. Aunio P. Cognitive and academic outcomes of fundamental motor skill and physical activity interventions designed for children with special educational needs: A systematic review Brain Sci. 2022 12 1001 10.3390/brainsci12081001 36009064 PMC9406044 · DOI
  38. [45]Chaddock-Heyman L. Hillman C.H. Cohen N.J. Kramer A.F. III The importance of physical activity and aerobic fitness for cognitive control and memory in children Monogr. Soc. Res. Child Dev. 2014 79 25 50 10.1111/mono.12129 25387414 · DOI · Paper page
  39. [46]Martín-Rodríguez A. Bustamante-Sánchez Á. Martínez-Guardado I. Navarro-Jiménez E. Plata-SanJuan E. Tornero-Aguilera J.F. Clemente-Suárez V.J. Infancy dietary patterns, development, and health: An extensive narrative review Children 2022 9 1072 10.3390/children9071072 35884056 PMC9319947 · DOI
  40. [47]Chang M. Gu X. The role of executive function in linking fundamental motor skills and reading proficiency in socioeconomically disadvantaged kindergarteners Learn. Individ. Differ. 2018 61 250 255 10.1016/j.lindif.2018.01.002 · DOI
  41. [48]Marchetti R. Forte R. Borzacchini M. Vazou S. Tomporowski P.D. Pesce C. Physical and motor fitness, sport skills and executive function in adolescents: A moderated prediction model Psychology 2015 6 1915 1929 10.4236/psych.2015.614189 · DOI
  42. [49]Latino F. Tafuri F. Physical Activity and Cognitive Functioning Medicina 2024 60 216 10.3390/medicina60020216 38399504 PMC10890300 · DOI
  43. [50]Whitebread D. Grau V. Kumpulainen K. McClelland M. Perry N. Pino-Pasternak D. The SAGE Handbook of Developmental Psychology and Early Childhood Education SAGE Publications Ltd. London, UK 2019 10.4135/9781526470393 · DOI

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Ramos-Campo, D. J., & Clemente-Suárez, V. J.
Affiliations
  • LFE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Science (INEF), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
  • Faculty of Sports Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Tajo Street, s/n, 28670 Madrid, Spain
ORCID
Venue
Behavioral Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2024-07-12
Volume
14
Issue
7
Pages
592
ISSN
2076-328X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/bs14070592
PMC
PMC11273920
OpenAlex
W4400584297
Cited by
19
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 1
FWCI
9.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Behavioral Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Universidad Europea de Madrid
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Children's Physical and Motor Development
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Physical Education and Pedagogy
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Physical Education and Training Studies
Keywords
motor skill proficiency, academic performance, high school students, Functional Movement Screen, basic motor skills, motor control, physical education, holistic education

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review