B4B Evolution Type II Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Trial

Overview

Break4Brain Evolution is a school-based programme designed to help teachers incorporate brief, safe and inclusive movement activities into normal classroom routines. The study aims to examine both how the programme is adopted and delivered in real-world schools and whether it improves students' physical activity, attention, executive functions and academic achievement. This is a type II hybrid implementation-effectiveness study with two complementary components. The implementation component will examine the scale-up of Break4Brain Evolution across at least 50 preschool, primary and secondary schools in the Balearic Islands and mainland Spain. Information from school leaders, teachers and students will be used to assess programme reach, adoption, acceptability, feasibility, appropriateness, fidelity, adaptations and maintenance. The effectiveness component is an embedded cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in six primary schools in Mallorca. Schools will be randomly allocated to either the Break4Brain Evolution programme or usual school practice, with three schools in each group. Two classrooms from each school, one grade 5 and one grade 6 classroom, will participate, resulting in an estimated sample of 300 students. Baseline assessments will be conducted in September 2026. Schools allocated to the intervention group will begin implementing Break4Brain Evolution in October 2026 and will use the programme during the academic year. Follow-up assessments will be conducted in February 2027, June 2027 and December 2027.

Break4Brain Evolution is a digitally supported behavioural and environmental intervention designed to introduce movement into routine classroom practice. The programme provides teachers with structured but flexible resources that can be adapted to different classroom needs, curricular demands, available space and school contexts. The programme includes four main movement typologies: active videos, physically active learning activities, an active card game and movement activities proposed or adapted by teachers. All programme components are provided through the Break4Brain digital platform, which includes training materials, classroom resources, implementation planning tools, a teacher forum, a resource bank, monitoring procedures and communication with the research team. Study design The study uses a type II hybrid implementation-effectiveness design to concurrently evaluate the implementation, scale-up and effectiveness of Break4Brain Evolution under real-world school conditions. The study includes a large-scale implementation component and an embedded effectiveness trial. Implementation component The implementation component will examine the delivery and scale-up of Break4Brain Evolution across preschool, primary and secondary schools in the Balearic Islands and mainland Spain. The objective is for the programme to be adopted by at least 50 schools, with a minimum of two classrooms participating in each school. School leaders, teachers and students will contribute information related to Reach, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance. Implementation outcomes will include school and teacher participation, training completion, digital platform engagement, use of programme resources, classroom movement delivery, intervention dose, fidelity, adaptations, acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, barriers and facilitators, implementation leadership, implementation climate and sustained programme use. Implementation will be supported through teacher training, multiple dissemination channels, free access to a digital platform, flexible and context-sensitive delivery, use of existing school resources, monitoring and feedback, an online support network and resources intended to support long-term sustainability. Effectiveness component The effectiveness study will use a cluster-randomized controlled trial design, with schools as the unit of randomization. Six primary schools in Mallorca will be included. Three schools will be allocated to the intervention group and three schools to the control group. Two classrooms will be recruited from each school, including one grade 5 and one grade 6 classroom. The effectiveness sample will therefore include 12 classrooms and an estimated 300 students. Schools allocated to the intervention group will implement Break4Brain Evolution from October 2026 and throughout the academic year. Teachers will select and adapt movement activities according to their classroom context while preserving the core purpose of introducing brief, safe and inclusive movement opportunities into classroom routines. Schools allocated to the control group will continue with usual school practice and will not have access to the Break4Brain Evolution programme during the intervention period. Data collection Baseline assessments for the effectiveness trial will be conducted in September 2026, before the intervention begins. Subsequent assessments will take place in February 2027, June 2027 and December 2027. Programme effectiveness will be evaluated through changes in students' physical activity, attention, executive functions and academic achievement. Mixed-methods data will be collected at school, teacher and student levels using digital platform metrics, questionnaires, accelerometry, academic and cognitive assessments, interviews and focus groups. The December 2027 assessment will examine maintenance of the programme and the extent to which schools and teachers continue to integrate classroom movement into routine educational practice.