ACTION RESEARCH

ON

THE EFFECT OF 10-MINUTE BREAK/RECESS TO GRADE 12 STUDENTS’

COGNITIVE PERFROMANCE

BY
GAUDENCIO R. BLANCO JR.
09476342804
gaudencio.blanco001@deped.gov.ph
Context and Rationale

In the School Year 2018-2019 class schedule, 15 minutes is allotted for the break time in

the morning schedule which consumes the snacks time of the students while in the afternoon

schedule, no break time is allotted. It has been observed that the students had been drained due to

a very congested schedule. The students are facing different lessons from different subjects and

different teachers for 8 hours. These instances have impact on their cognitive performance due to

overloading of information that leads to low quality of results in the assessment that involves

their cognitive aspect. “Our study suggests that students who are overloaded experience higher

level of stress and physical problems like sweating, headaches, exhaustion, stomach problems,

and/or sleeping difficulties”. (Gollaway, 2016)

Recess is a short period of time during the school day when children can play. (Merriam

Webster Dictionary, 2016). But in Senior High School, recess doesn’t necessarily mean that the

students will play. During this time, the students may eat, performs exercises, talk to their peers

or take a nap. And through having recess, the students can relax and avoid tension and stress.

Upon having this activity, it creates impact to the students’ cognitive aspect since it can make

their mind relax and in the time of assessment which uses their cognitive function it will lead to

better results in a particular subject.

This action research aims to compare the results of the grade 12 students’ cognitive

performance results based from two situations. One is the teacher automatically gives evaluation

after the lesson and the other is letting the students have a 10-minute break before having the

evaluation. The results of the evaluations will serve as the data in comparing if there is an effect

of having a 10-minute break period to the cognitive performance of the grade 11 students. And if
proven that break will increase the cognitive performance of the students, it will be

recommended to the department that each subject will allocate a short break during the teaching-

learning process. The researcher believes that through helping students in improving their

cognitive performance, it will enable them to acquire quality learning which could help them to

become a productive individual.

Related Literature

According to http://info.thinkfun.com/stem-education/the-impact-of-recess-on-child-

development, there are some benefits of recess:

1. Students are more on task during academic activities

2. Have improved memory
3. Are more focused
4. Develop a greater number of neural connections
5. Learn how to negotiate
6. Find ways to demonstrate leadership
7. Are able to teach their own games
8. Learn to take turns
9. Learn how to negotiate conflicts
10. Leads to more physical activity outside of the school setting
From these, students can gain more benefits of having a short period of recess.

The trend toward diminished recess time has been corroborated by at least three surveys.

A national survey taken by the National Association of Elementary School Principals in 1989

found that 96% of the surveyed school systems had one or two recess periods per day (Pellegrini,

2005). Another national survey, conducted 10 years later, found that only 70% of the
kindergarten classrooms that were sampled had a recess period (Pellegrini, 2005). Although

these surveys indicate a decline with time, we should be cautious in interpreting the trend, as the

surveys were not exactly comparable (e.g., they sampled different units and asked different

questions), and the details of the methodology are not readily transparent. And up to the present,

recess is totally diminished.

However, a similar trend was observed in a much more rigorously conducted survey in

England (Blatchford & Sumpner, 1998). That survey’s nationally representative random sample

of primary and secondary schools (1 in 10 of such schools in the country) found uniform erosion

of recess time across a 5-year period (1990/1991– 1995/1996). Declines in recess periods were

reported in both primary schools (56%) and secondary schools (44%). It is important to note that

recess, or break time, as it is called in the United Kingdom, is rather uniformly implemented

there (Blatchford & Sumpner, 1998); in the United States there is no such uniformity (Pellegrini

& Smith, 1993). In the United Kingdom, schools have morning, lunch (called “dinner”), and

afternoon breaks. Although British students across all grades have breaks, the duration of the

break periods decreases with age: 93 minutes for children in infant school (5 to 7 years of age),

83 minutes for junior school (7–11 years of age), and 77 minutes for secondary school students

(11–16 years of age).

Anecdotal evidence from East Asia (Stevenson & Lee, 1990) suggests that children’s

attention to class work is maximized when instructional periods are relatively short and followed

by breaks. In most East Asian primary schools, for example, children are given a 10-minute

break every 40 minutes or so (Lila School, 2004); in middle school they receive a 10-minute

break every 45 minutes (Lila School, 2004, http://www. had.ms.kr/doam201_4.html), and in high

school a 10-minute break every 50 minutes (Cyber School, 2004). When children come back
from these breaks, they seem more attentive and ready to work than before the breaks. As

illustrated below, American experimental evidence (Jarrett et al., 1998; Pellegrini & Smith,

1993; Pellegrini, Huberty, & Jones, 1995; Ridgway, Northup, Pellegrini, LaRue, & Hightshoe,

2003) supports these claims.

Attention to classroom tasks has been used in many studies of proximal effects of recess

on cognitive performance (e.g., Jarrett et al., 1998; Ridgway et al., 2003). Attention is a direct

and relatively easy to measure index of children’s motivation for, and engagement in, their

school work (e.g., Toppino et al., 1991). Attention to classroom tasks, such as reading, in turn, is

also related to more general and distal indicators of cognitive performance, such as reading

achievement (e.g., Rowe & Rowe, 1992).

Through this different studies on the effect of recess to the learner’s attention and

cognitive performance, the researcher is motivated to conduct an action research on the effect of

recess to grade 12 students’ cognitive performance of Teodoro Dela Vega Memorial National

High school.
Research Questions

This action research will determine the effects of having a 10-minute break to grade 12

students to their cognitive performance.

Specifically, it answers to the following:

1. What are the scores of grade 12 students in an assessment in terms of the two

situations:

1.1. without having a recess;

1.2. after having a recess?

2. Based from the results, can recess improve the students’ cognitive performance?

3. What is the grade 12 students’ perception on having break in each subject during the

teaching-learning process?

4. What recommendations can be made from the results?

Proposed Innovation, Intervention and Strategy

This action research will offer the following:

1. Test score results of two situation of teaching-learning process.

2. Comparative results and analysis based from two situations of teaching-learning process.

3. Grade 12 students’ perception on integration of break in each subject to the teaching-

learning process.
 4. Recommendation of integration of break/recess to the teaching-learning process to all

senior high school subjects.

5. Recommendation of the same action research to the junior high school subjects.

The integration of break/recess to the teaching-learning process will be done on the first

quarter of the school year 2019-2020. The results will be monitored and if positive results come

out, the integration will continue to the next quarter and so on.

Action Research Methods

This action research is a mixed-method of qualitative and quantitative design. It utilizes

the test scores results from the two teaching-learning process situation. One is to give assessment

without having break/recess and the other is to give assessment after having break/recess. From

the results, it serves as the data to find out if break/recess has effect on the cognitive performance

of the grade 12 students.

Data Gathering Methods

This action research will utilize the assessment results of the grade 12 students of

Teodoro Dela Vega Memorial National High School for the school year 2018-2019. The grade

12 has two sections, Grade 12 Humility and Empathy with 46 students each.

The action research will be conducted during the subject Media and Information Literacy

since it’s the researcher is the subject teacher of the said subject. The students will be exposed to

two situation of teaching-learning process. First situation is to give assessment to students after

the discussion and activity without any break prior to the assessment. The second situation is to

give assessment to the students after having a 10 – minute break.

 The test scores of the assessments will serves as the data and utilize simple percentage in

comparing the results and data analysis. From the data compared, findings on the effect of 10-

minute break to grade 12 students’ cognitive performance will be obtained. Through the results

the questions if break has effect on cognitive performance will be answered. After the process,

the researcher will select 30 grade 12 students randomly who will undergo interview and hear

their perception if break is integrated in the teaching-learning process and use weighted mean in

getting the results. Based from the results, recommendations to the school head will be made.

With the implementation of this process, the researcher strongly believes that with the

integration of break in each subject in the teaching-learning process, it has a positive effect on

students’ cognitive performance and help them acquire better and quality learning.

A. Schedule of the conduct of assessment

Date Activity
March 4, 2019 Assessment no. 1 for without 10-minute recess
March 5, 2019 Assessment no. 1 for with 10-minute recess
March 6, 2019 Data recording for assessment nos. 1
March 7, 2019 Assessment no. 2 for without 10-minute recess
March 8, 2019 Assessment no. 2 for with10-minute recess
March 9, 2019 Data recording for assessment nos. 2
March 11, 2019 Assessment no. 3 for without 10-minute recess
March 12, 2019 Assessment no. 3 for with10-minute recess
March 13, 2019 Data recording for assessment nos. 3
March 14, 2019 Assessment no. 4 for without 10-minute recess
March 15, 2019 Assessment no. 4 for with10-minute recess
March 16, 2019 Data recording for assessment nos. 4
March 18, 2019 Assessment no. 5 for without 10-minute recess
 March 19, 2019 Assessment no. 5 for with10-minute recess

B. Comparison of students’ scores based form two situation

Without Break With Break Difference

No. of No. of
Section No. of Students got Students
Students 75% and % got 75% % f %
above form and above
the form the
assessment assessment
Humility 46

Empathy 46

C. Perception of Grade 12 students on integration of break in each subject in the

teaching-learning process.
Statement Agree Undecided Disagree
f % f % f %
1. Break can
help improve
my score in the
assessment.
2. Break can
help improve
my outputs.
3. Break you
improve your
cognitive
performance.

D. Population and Random Sampling

 All grade 12 students are the respondents on the assessment during the teaching-learning

process. This is done to have the full data on the effect of break on the grade 12 students’

cognitive performance. Random sampling will be used in getting the perception of grade 12

students on the integration of break in each subject on the teaching-learning process.

Specifically, fishbowl random sampling will be used and select 30 students to represent the

whole population.

Action Research Work Plan and Timelines

Work Plan

Job Tasks Days

1 Planning and formulation of DLP and assessment tool 2

2 Conduct of teaching-learning process and assessment 5

without break
3 Conduct of teaching-learning process and assessment 5
with break
4 Interview of students on their perception on the 2
integration of break in each subject of the teaching-
learning process
5 Consolidation and data analysis 1

6 Formulation of conclusion and recommendation 1

7 Endorsement of results to the school head 1

Cost Estimates

First Tranche
Estimate cost
Activities Resources/Materials

1 Teacher, 1 Coordinator, 1 School head = 3 Php 150.00

Planning and formulation of person X Php 50.00
 DLP and assessment tool 4 Rims of short bondpaper @ 190 each = Php 7600.00
Php 190.00 X 4
3 printer cartridge @ 380 each = Php 380.00 Php 1,140.00
X3
Conduct of teaching-learning 92 students, 1 teacher = 93 persons X Php Php 23, 250.00
process and assessment with 50.00 = Php 2, 790 X 5 days
break
Interview of students on their 92 students, 1 teacher, 1 coordinator = 94 Php 4, 700.00
perception on the integration persons X Php 50.00
of break in each subject of the
teaching-learning process
Consolidation and data 1 Teacher, 1 Coordinator, 1 School head = 3 Php 150.00
analysis person X Php 50.00

Plans for Dissemination Advocacy

After the conduct of the action research the following outputs are to be produced:

1. The scheme of this action research to be conducted to junior high school students.

2. Proposal to the school head for the integration of break in each subject in the teaching

learning process with the result of this action research as evidence for its

implementation.

3. Same proposal to the District Supervisor for the integration of break in each subject in

the teaching learning process with the result of this action research as evidence for its

implementation.

Reference

Anthony D. Pellegrini and Catherine M. Bohn (2005) The Role of Recess in Children’s
Cognitive Performance and School Adjustment
 Barbour, A. C. (1996). Physical competence and peer relations in second graders:
Qualitative case studies from recess play. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 11, 35–
46.

Coe, D.P., Pivarnik, J.M., Womach, C.J., Reeves, M.J. & Malina, R.M. (2006). Effect of
physical education and activity levels on academic achievement in children. Medicine & Science
in Sports & Exercise, 38, 1515-1519

Blatchford, P., & Sumpner, C. (1998). What do we know about break time? Results from
a national survey of break time and lunch time in primary and secondary schools. British
Educational Research Journal

Council on Physical Education for Children. (2001). Recess in elementary schools. A

position paper from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Retrieved
September 28, 2000, from http://eric.ed.uiuc.edu/naecs/position/recessplay/html

The Benefits of Recess to a Child (2011) http://info.thinkfun.com/stem-education/the-

impact-of-recess-on-child-development

Don’t Overload Students: Assigning too much wok discourages learning, (2016).
www.opencolleges.edu/au

GAUDENCIO R. BLANCO JR.

Researcher