Despite global evidence supporting the benefits of PE in promoting socio-emotional skills, much of the research has focused on countries where PE is a mandatory part of the curriculum. In contrast, Bhutan's Health and Physical Education (HPE) program is limited, with many schools lacking a structured curriculum and dedicated PE educators. This project aims to evaluate the impact of an enhanced school-based physical education (PE) program on physical fitness, socio-emotional competencies, and well-being among upper primary school students in Bhutan.
This project is a methodological collaboration between the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois in Switzerland and the Paro College of Education and Royal Thimphu College in Bhutan.
Two public urban schools will be randomly assigned to either the "enhanced physical education program" or "standard curriculum" condition. An additional "control school", with no physical education, will be included in the study but not in the randomisation process for feasibility concern. A total of 360 young adolescents (120 per school, aged 12-14) will be enrolled. Baseline data on individual characteristics such as age, gender, and socio-economic status will be collected through self- and parent-reported questionnaires. Primary outcome measures include physical fitness assessed by PE teachers using various metrics, as well as socio-emotional competencies and well-being evaluated through standardised self- and parent-reported questionnaires. Data will be analysed using an intention-to-treat approach.
This project offers a unique opportunity to explore the international impact of PE within Bhutan's socio-cultural context.
Enrolment in participating schools: Students must be enrolled in upper primary school classes (grades 7 and 8) in one of the three participating school.
Regular school attendance: Students must attend school regularly to ensure consistent exposure to the intervention (min 80% of the courses).
Parental consent: Written informed consent from a parent or guardian.
Verbal assent from the child, indicating their willingness to participate.
Inability to participate in physical education courses: Students unable to participate in physical education classes due to medical or other significant reasons.
Parallel
Enhanced physical education
BehavioralThe "Enhanced physical education" is based on the Health and Physical Education (HPE) Curriculum Framework developed by the Bhutanese Ministry of Education and well-document in the 2022 edition, www.education.gov.bt. The enhanced PE group will follow closely the description of the HPE curriculum and receive two 90-minute sessions weekly for 5 months. According to the HEP curriculum, the enhanced PE program incorporate both PE with socio-emotional competencies, such as self-regulation, self- and social-awareness, empathy-building exercises, and cooperation activities.
HPE Standard curriculum
BehavioralHealth and physical education (HPE) standard curriculum includes roughly one hour per week of general physical education, typically involving activities like football and basketball.
Socio-emotional competencies: Self-reported, Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ)
Socio-emotional competencies will be evaluated in young adolescents using the standardised self-reported Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ). The SDQ is a well-validated 25-item questionnaire designed to assess behavioural problems in children and adolescents aged 4 to 16. It consists of: a) four subscales, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer problems (min=0, max=10) with higher scores indicate more difficulties, b) an additional prosocial behavior subscale with higher scores indicate better outcomes in prosocial behavior, and c) a total difficulties score, based on emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer problems, is also measured with higher scores reflecting greater behavioral difficulties (min=0, max=40).
Socio-emotional competencies: Self-reported, Self-Compassion Scale
Socio-emotional competencies will be evaluated in young adolescents using the standardised self-reported Self-Compassion Scale. This 26-item scale measures self-compassion across six key dimensions: self-kindness, self-judgment, common humanity, isolation, mindfulness, and over-identification. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always). The total score ranges from 26 to 130, with higher scores indicating greater self-compassion and emotional resilience.
Socio-emotional competencies: Self-reported, Empathy Questionnaire for children and adolescents
Socio-emotional competencies will be evaluated in young adolescents using the standardised self-reported Empathy Questionnaire for children and adolescents. This 15-item scale assesses empathy in adolescents across five dimensions: emotional contagion, self-awareness, perspective-taking, emotional regulation, and empathic action. Each item is scored on a 4-point Likert scale, resulting in a total score ranging from 15 to 60 with higher scores indicate stronger empathy abilities.
Socio-emotional competencies: Self-reported, Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Youth
Socio-emotional competencies will be evaluated in young adolescents using the standardised self-reported Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Youth. This brief questionnaire is designed to assess self-efficacy in youths. It consists of 10 items, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Youth gives a total score that range from 10 to 50, with higher scores reflecting better perceived self-efficacy.
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Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois
Lead sponsor
Paro College of Education
Collaborator
Royal Thimphu College
Collaborator
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