Lead researcher Jacob Wienecke argues that integrating physical activity into teaching can open math to students who tune out traditional methods, with potential to apply the approach to other subjects and activities.

The study shows that small changes in pedagogy can yield meaningful gains without lengthening total class time, and it calls for broader adoption of active math in schools.

Researchers conclude that combining movement with learning engages students who are not drawn to mathematics, boosting motivation, enjoyment, and math performance.

The study appears in Educational Psychology Review and builds on prior research related to fractions and math achievement.

Publication details: Educational Psychology Review, article titled “Integrating Fractions into Physical Education classes can improve Mathematical Performance in 11–13-Year-Olds - The Basketball Mathematics project,” published June 6, 2026.

Understanding fractions is predictive of later math success, highlighting the importance of early improvements.

The project was led by University of Copenhagen researchers, including movement neuroscience expert Jacob Wienecke, and the study was published in Educational Psychology Review.

Participants in the basketball-linked lessons showed a 15 percent average improvement in fraction test scores versus a non-playing control group, with about a 5 percent gain in other math concepts.

The program, BasketballMathematics, ran for eight weeks and integrated fractions into weekly 60-minute basketball-based PE for 11- to 13-year-olds.

Across 309 pupils, the intervention linked basketball activities like shooting and dribbling to fractions and percentages.

The method is designed to be transferable to other contexts, emphasizing movement that meaningfully aligns with learning goals rather than arbitrary activity.

A freely available teaching compendium accompanies the study, with suggestions to adapt the approach to other activities such as volleyball while maintaining alignment between movement and learning objectives.