Purpose: In Amsterdam – the Netherlands – we know that children living in low income households have a lower health status and report lower physical activity levels than their peers in middle- or high-income households. Seven primary schools located in neighborhoods with a low social-economic status are currently developing their own active school using the ‘Creating Active Schools Framework’. This study was conducted to assess the current physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns during and after school of the pupils in these seven primary schools.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we collect data in seven schools located within an Amsterdam neighborhood with a low social economic status score. Within each school, 4 classes are eligible for participation. Children wear an accelerometer from Monday morning until Friday afternoon to assess physical activity levels. Parents of participating children are asked to complete a questionnaire on baseline characteristics, wellbeing and out of school physical activity behaviors. The mean sedentary time (ST), low physical activity (LPA) time and Moderate to Vigorous physical activity (MVPA) time will be calculated. The association between the outcomes of the accelerometer data and gender and health related outcomes reported by parents will be assessed.Results: The data will be collected between March and May 2023. We will present the average LPA and MVPA during and after school time. The duration of the ST bouts during and after schooltime. And associations between ST, LPA and MVPA and gender and health related outcomes.Conclusions: The results of this study will be used to support local school teams in the development and implementation of local action plans towards a school day that involves less sitting and more physical activity.
In this chapter, we discuss the education of secondary school mathematics teachers in the Netherlands. There are different routes for qualifying as a secondary school mathematics teacher. These routes target different student teacher populations, ranging from those who have just graduated from high school to those who have already pursued a career outside education or working teachers who want to qualify for teaching in higher grades. After discussing the complex structure this leads to, we focus on the aspects that these different routes have in common. We point out typical characteristics of Dutch school mathematics and discuss the aims and challenges in teacher education that result from this. We give examples of different approaches used in Dutch teacher education, which we link to a particular model for designing vocational and professional learning environments.We end the chapter with a reflection on the current situation.
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Purpose: A more dynamic school day that includes less sitting and more physical activity throughout the day may support health in primary school children. In this mixed methodologies study, we assessed which physical activity possibilities are incorporated in the school policies of Dutch primary schools and if this translates into more physical activity in pupils.Methods: Seven primary schools were included in the study. The head teachers completed a questionnaire on the incorporation of physical activity in the school policy. Physical activity policy was assessed for physical education, physical activity during breaks, scheduling of physical activity during lessons, after school physical activity and active transport to school. In each school, actual physical activity was objectively measured using accelerometers in pupils in two classes and planning and logging of PA by teachers.Results: We will assess the impact of the school policy on physical activity in pupils using logistic regression. We will assess the impact of the several school policies on total physical activity in pupils, and on the three (light, moderate and high) modalities of physical activity.Conclusion: The results of this study will give us more insight in the current role of physical activity in Dutch primary schools. The potential impact of the school policy on physical activity levels in pupils can be used as a starting point for a more integral dynamic school day approach.Support/Funding Source: This study was partially funded by “Stichting Westelijke Tuinsteden’
