Magen Radke, Fatiesa Sulejmani, Brennan J Vogl, Hoda Hatoum
Integrating Cardiovascular Engineering and Biofluid Mechanics in High School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: An Experiential Approach
Journal of biomechanical engineering
education outside classroom eotc considered beneficial childrens physical mental health especially stress resilience linked nature experience study experimentally explored effects pupils autonomy support aut physical activity pa biological stress responses brain development eotc study comprised 48 fifth sixth graders intervention consisted one dayweek taught forest one school year structural magnetic resonance imaging mri conducted beginning end school year functional mri stress condition end regions interest amygdala hippocampus anterior cingulate cortex acc measures obtained beginning midterm end school year pa measured using accelerometry cortisol levels obtained three times examined school days aut measured paperbased survey data analysed using bayesian multivariate models eotc students exhibit efficient regulation biological stressreactivity show reduction cortisol day associated light pa forest cortisol associated amygdala activation stress condition cerebral structural change best explained age however aut positive direct effect maturation acc stronger eotc results support idea autonomy supportive teaching fosters cerebral maturation eotc positive effect biological stress regulation