Implications of learning strategies and effect of yoga on academic performance among adolescents: A randomized trial

Abstract

BACKGROUND Adolescent academic performance is crucial for both individual educational success and broader national development. The National Education Program report (2020) highlights significant challenges, revealing that 25% of Indian adolescents lack proficiency in fundamental academic skills, with India ranking 72nd out of 73 countries in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Addressing these issues necessitates a comprehensive approach integrating effective learning strategies, considerations of cognitive and non-cognitive factors, addressing physical and mental health concerns, resolving apprehensions related to academic failure, and promoting positive interpersonal relationships for conducive teaching-learning environment. Additionally, enhancing cognitive capabilities and motivation is crucial for efficient learning and academic achievement. This is particularly significant given the challenges posed by emotional and behavioral issues, which include reduced concentration, poor classroom engagement, and difficulty managing academic stress. These factors collectively contribute to lower grades, increased dropout rates, and limited opportunities for higher education. Alongside these considerations, parenting styles also significantly influence adolescent academic performance: authoritative parenting, with its high expectations and support, fosters independence, self-discipline, and motivation, whereas authoritarian parenting’s high demands and low responsiveness may instil fear of failure and lower self-esteem. In contrast, permissive parenting tends to cultivate inadequate discipline and poor academic habits. Moreover, socio-economic disparities further shape academic outcomes; students from higher socio-economic backgrounds often access more educational resources and supportive environments, contrasting starkly with the challenges faced by their peers from lower socio-economic backgrounds, who ii experience financial instability and limited educational support at home. This contributes to disparities in academic achievement and educational opportunities. This study utilizes various aspects of yoga, including hatha yoga (asana, pranayama, and deep relaxation techniques) and a combination of hatha yoga with jnana yoga-based learning strategies, such as attentive listening, reflective contemplation, repeated practice, intellectual humility, inquiry, and dedicated effort in acquiring knowledge and setting academic goals. Additionally, physical exercise is incorporated to assess the impact on academic performance and learning, along with related variables among school-going adolescents. The study aims to identify effective strategies to enhance academic outcomes and reduce educational disparities among Indian adolescents through comprehensive analysis and targeted interventions. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate learning outcomes and adolescent development through yoga and physical exercise interventions, evaluating their impact on academic performance and related factors. Objectives included evaluating the effects of hatha yoga, combined hatha and jnana yoga practices, and physical exercise on academic performance, physical fitness, general intelligence, verbal working memory, academic skills, emotional and behavioral issues, academic self-efficacy, and test anxiety among three distinct groups of adolescents. Additionally, the study aimed to analyse how these interventions differed in their impact and identify predictors of academic performance within each group. Furthermore, it explored the roles of socio-economic status and parenting styles on academic outcomes, assessed the feasibility and fidelity of implementing interventions, and conducted qualitative analysis of student interview transcripts to gain insights into the effects of yoga programs. iii METHODS Participants and Design The study is a three-arm trial that followed a stratified random allocation. A total of 300 adolescent students, comprising 154 males and 146 females, with an average age of 13.06 years (SD = 1.10), were selected from grades 7, 8, and 9 from two different locations in India (North and West zones). The North zone recruited 126 students, while a sample size of 174 was finalized for the Western Zone. Assessment tools The students in the three groups were assessed for their academic performance scores, obtained from school records. Minimum muscular fitness was evaluated using the Kraus-Weber test. General intelligence and cognitive abilities, including verbal working memory, were measured using Raven’s Progressive Matrices and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, respectively. Academic skills, such as comprehension, numeracy, creative writing, reading, and general knowledge, were assessed through standardized academic tests. Emotional and behavioral problems were evaluated using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Academic self-efficacy was assessed using Academic Self Efficacy and Efficacy for Self-Regulated Learning scale. Performance anxiety was assessed using a Test Anxiety scale. Parenting styles were identified using the Parenting Style Questionnaire. Socio economic status was determined using the Kuppuswamy Socio-Economic Scale. Intervention Yoga and physical exercise sessions were conducted simultaneously over 63 days in the North and 66 days in the West locations, respectively. Each session lasted 50 minutes, starting at 8:00 AM in the North and 11:00 AM in the West, with an additional 10 minutes allocated for student assembly iv and dispersal. Sessions occurred three to six days per week, spanning 14 weeks to thoroughly assess the differential impact. Group A practiced conventional hatha yoga, emphasizing physical postures (Asana) and breath control (Pranayama). Group B combined traditional hatha yoga with jnana yoga concepts, integrating academic interventions based on theoretical frameworks from ancient scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita and Brhadaranyaka Upanishad. Group C engaged in a physical fitness training program involving moderate to intense physical exercises. RESULTS One-way ANOVA with Bonferroni adjustments, multiple regression, and correlation analyses were conducted to analyse the data. Group B demonstrated significantly better academic performance than Groups A and C. Additionally, Group B showed significant improvements in muscle fitness, general intelligence, attention, verbal working memory, comprehension skills, creative writing skills, reading skills, and academic self-efficacy. Reductions in test anxiety, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and peer problems were also noted, particularly in Group B. However, no significant differences were observed among the groups in numeracy skills and pro-social behavior. Multiple regression analysis identified significant predictors of academic performance within each intervention group. In Group A, reading skills and academic self-efficacy were significant predictors. For Group B, significant predictors included general intelligence, creative writing, and academic self-efficacy. In Group C, general intelligence and working memory predicted academic scores. Correlation analysis indicated that authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles positively correlated with academic performance and negatively correlated with peer problems and overall v difficulties. Permissive parenting, though not significantly affecting academic performance, was associated with increased pro-social behavior and conduct problems. Socio-economic status showed varied impacts - the upper-lower category negatively affected emotional well-being and psychological functioning, while the lower-middle category negatively correlated with pro-social behavior. In the upper-middle category, significant negative correlations were found between academic performance and peer problems, and positive correlations were observed between socio-economic status and conduct problems. Additionally, a significant negative correlation existed between pro-social behavior and peer problems among upper-middle category students. CONCLUSIONS The study concludes that yoga plays a significant role in enhancing physical fitness and mental preparedness for academics. It improves cognitive abilities, academic self-efficacy, and skills, particularly through integrated hatha and jnana yoga practices, which have shown substantial positive effects on academic performance and related factors. Therefore, this integrated approach supports development across physical, mental, and intellectual domains. Implementing comprehensive yoga programs in school curricula is essential to promote holistic adolescent development, address academic challenges like anxiety, and enhance learning skills effectively and affordably. Additionally, incorporating yoga into educational policies and practices can enrich school environments and support the overall well-being and academic success of students.