A study conducted by teachers from a Swedish university revealed that classroom sessions where students walk around are more effective in boosting their academic performance, Science Daily reported.
According to the researchers, the findings of the study highlight the importance of physical activity inside classroom settings.
The concept of the walking classrooms began as a challenge at Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology. In 2014, teachers in KTH participated in a competition about lessening the number of hours they and their students spend sitting.
In response to the challenge, one of the university's lecturers, Olle Balter, decided to conduct his lessons while taking his students out for a walk.
According to Balter, students became more involved in the discussions as they walked around the park near the school as compared to just sitting inside the classroom.
"Students feel free to talk when they are outdoors than when they are in the classroom," the lecturer said in a statement.
Aside from Balter's first-hand experience, the results of a survey conducted by his co-authors on students who participated in walking classrooms showed an improvement in the academic performance of the university students.
Out of 23 surveyed students, 21 said they felt significantly better about their performance when they were walking around with their teachers.
Frida Haugsbakk, a student from the university, said he also noticed an improvement in his classmates' participation during the walking classroom sessions.
"Everyone chipped in, even those who were too shy to speak in larger groups," he said according to a news release from the KTH. "On the walk, students can address another student directly, while other simply listen and the discussion later on."
Aside from Sweden, some schools in the United States have also started experimenting with walking classrooms.
Launched by North Carolina teacher Laura Fenn, the walking classroom program in the U.S. makes use of electronic devices that play 15-minute audio files based on lesson plans, the Battle Creek Inquirer reported.
The program aims to increase physical activity in schools to combat obesity through a revolutionary learning technique.
