Virginia AHPERD_SpringSummer2026

Opportunities to Promote the Use of Exercise for Affective Enhancement Jim Davis , EdM from Harvard University; Teaches Leadership and Ethics in the graduate program at Saint Xavier University Melissa Brody , MS from National Louis University; Elementary Educator at Crow Island school in Winnetka, IL

Should schools focus purely on academic outcomes? Should educators prioritize social emotional learning? To what degree are schools responsible for student health? Health throughout the lifespan? As we imagine the next frontier of education, what are the most impactful, last ing opportunities within the educational space? Decades in education and leadership development have provided some clues, but we wanted to hear from educators on the front lines. We are especially interested in what could be accomplished in the health and physical education setting. Research continues to indicate that physical state plays an essential role in all forms of education and human perfor mance (Davis, 2023a). With that in mind, while connecting with educators, we took special interest in exercise (move ment), which is a foundational component of the High Or der Performance framework (Figure 1). Figure 1 The High Order Performance Framework

cal education and beyond) as part of a casual round of field research. Respondents’ experience level ranged from five years into the field to four years until retirement. In ad dition to the surveys, we engaged in qualitative follow-up conversations with interested participants. The intention was to better understand what educators believe is impor tant for the student experience and how exercise, if it has the potential to improve student outcomes, should be pri oritized. When creating the survey, we focused on three catego ries which exercise has the potential to improve: academic outcomes, neurological enhancement, and improvements in affect (Lin & Kuo, 2013; Mahindru et al., 2023; Trudeau & Shephard, 2008). Survey questions inquired about aca demic outcomes, often identified by grade point averages and standardized test scores (York et al., 2015). Other sur vey questions inquired about neurological outcomes. The term “neurological outcomes” refers to the enhancement in neurochemistry and neurological structure (Thoenen, 1993). This neurological benefit is accomplished when ex ercise stimulates neurochemical enhancement through increases in dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and through the production of neurotrophins like insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (Cotman, Berchtold, and Christie, 2007; Li et al., 1998; Lu & Chow, 1999; Schmolesky et al., 2013; Van Praag, 1999; Van Praag, 2005). Survey questions also asked about affect outcomes, broadly referring to dispositions like mood, fo cus, and anything that might fall into the realm of social and emotional learning. Educators were asked to rate the level of importance of these three domains alongside their depth of understanding for each. A small sample of those educators (n=8) opted into qualitative follow-up conversa tions, which provided further insight into the survey re sponses. These results are not portending to represent a randomized population to statistically “prove” anything; rather, this effort is intended to shine a light on opportuni ties for professional development. Interpretation of Results There were four notable takeaways from our survey and qualitative follow-up conversations. The first was in response to the question “if exercise had the ability to en hance the student experience, and could fit into the school

Davis, J. (2023). Using the High Order Performance Framework for Effective Leadership. Journal of Character and Leadership Develop ment , 10 (3), 77–84. While using the framework to support a wholistic under standing of the student experience, we recently surveyed fifty (50) professional educators from a variety of back grounds and primary teaching foci (health, history, physi (2023). Using the High Order Performance Framework for Effective Leadership. Journal of Character and Leadership Development , 10 (3), 77–84. g the framework to support a wholistic understanding of the student experience, we veyed fifty (50) professional educators from a variety of backgrounds and primary ci (health, history, physical education and beyond) as part of a casual round of field espondents’ experience level ranged from five years into the field to four years until In addition to the surveys, we engaged in qualitative follow-up conversations with

SPRING/SUMMER 2026 • Virginia AHPERD • 13