Basketball Mathematics Programme Shows 15 Percent Improvement in Children’s Fraction Performance, University of Copenhagen Finds

There was no blackboard or sedentary math tasks when the students had fractions incorporated into their physical education classes. The students not only found it more fun – they also became better at math. Photo: Anders Rostgaard Bystrup

(IN BRIEF) University of Copenhagen research has found that integrating fractions into basketball-based physical education lessons can improve pupils’ mathematical performance while making learning more engaging. The study involved 309 pupils aged 11 to 13 who took part in an eight-week Basketball Mathematics programme, with one 60-minute lesson per week. Pupils worked with fractions and percentages through basketball activities, such as calculating successful shots as fractions and converting them into percentages. After the programme, participating pupils performed 15% better in fractions tests than a control group that received standard physical education and around 5% better in other mathematical tasks. The pupils also reported greater motivation, engagement and a stronger sense of mastery, while improving their basketball skills at the same time. Lead researcher Jacob Wienecke said sport and physical activity may help make mathematics more accessible to pupils who are not usually engaged by the subject. The researchers noted that the findings should be interpreted cautiously because the programme was short and participants received slightly more mathematics teaching, but they argue that active, movement-based learning could offer a practical way to strengthen academic skills without adding extra classroom time.

(PRESS RELEASE) COPENHAGEN, 10-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — University of Copenhagen research has found that combining basketball with mathematics teaching can help primary school pupils improve their understanding of fractions while making lessons more engaging and active.

The study examined an eight-week teaching programme called Basketball Mathematics, in which fractions and percentages were built directly into physical education lessons. Instead of learning only through traditional classroom tasks, pupils worked with mathematical concepts while taking part in basketball activities such as shooting, dribbling and recording performance outcomes.

More than 300 pupils aged 11 to 13 took part in the study. During the programme, pupils used basketball exercises as a practical basis for learning fractions. For example, they might take ten shots at the basket, calculate what fraction of the shots were successful and then convert that result into a percentage. This gave pupils a physical and visual way to connect mathematical ideas with real activity.

After the eight-week programme, pupils who participated in Basketball Mathematics performed 15% better in a fractions test than pupils in a control group that received standard physical education. They also performed around 5% better in other mathematics tasks, suggesting that the method may have wider benefits beyond the specific topic of fractions.

Jacob Wienecke, Associate Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at the University of Copenhagen and lead researcher on the study, said sport and physical activity can help open up mathematics for pupils who may not otherwise feel engaged by the subject.

The programme consisted of one 60-minute lesson per week over eight weeks, with mathematics integrated into basketball teaching rather than added as a separate classroom activity. The researchers said the results show that even modest changes in teaching methods can make a measurable difference, without requiring schools to create additional mathematics lessons.

Fractions are widely recognised as a challenging area for many pupils, and earlier studies have shown that children’s fraction skills can be a strong indicator of later mathematics performance. The University of Copenhagen study suggests that linking fractions to movement and game-based activity may help pupils experience mathematics more positively and participate more actively.

Pupils in the Basketball Mathematics group reported higher motivation, stronger engagement and a greater sense of mastery during the lessons compared with more traditional approaches. Researchers believe these positive experiences may encourage children to invest more effort in mathematics in the classroom as well.

The study also found that pupils improved their basketball skills, indicating that integrating academic content into physical education did not undermine the sport learning objectives of the lessons. This suggests that movement-based academic learning can support both subject knowledge and physical skills when the activities are closely aligned with what pupils are expected to learn.

The researchers noted that the findings should be interpreted with some caution. Pupils in the Basketball Mathematics group received slightly more mathematics instruction than the control groups, and the study was conducted over a relatively short period. As a result, the long-term impact of the approach remains uncertain.

Even so, Jacob Wienecke said raising pupils’ mathematics level at this stage could potentially influence their longer-term educational development, because mathematics performance during these school years is often linked to later outcomes.

The researchers hope more schools will explore ways to integrate physical activity into academic teaching. They have developed a free teaching compendium that teachers can use to try the method in practice. Although the study focused on basketball, the same principles could be applied to other sports and activities, including volleyball, as long as the movement has a clear connection to the learning objective.

Wienecke said that, in his view, one in five mathematics lessons each week could be made active. He stressed that the activity should support the learning itself, rather than simply adding movement before or after a traditional task.

The study, titled Integrating fractions into physical education classes can improve mathematical performance in 11–13-year-olds – the Basketball Mathematics project, is published in Educational Psychology Review.

About Basket Mathematics

• The study involved 309 pupils in Years 5 and 6 (aged 11 to 13)
• An eight-week programme with one lesson per week (60 minutes)
• Mathematics was directly linked to basketball teaching, with pupils using their performance (for example shots or dribbling) to work with fractions and percentages
• There were two control groups: one received standard physical education, and the other only had basketball in physical education
• The result was a 15 per cent improvement in fractions and a 5 per cent improvement in other mathematical tasks
• Both pupils in Basketball Mathematics and in the basketball control group improved their basketball skills
• Pupils also reported higher motivation, engagement and a sense of mastery during the lessons
• Participants in Basketball Mathematics received slightly more mathematics teaching than the control groups
• Basketball Mathematics has also been tested with 756 pupils in Years 1 to 5, although the focus there was not on academic improvement
• The study “Integrating fractions into physical education classes can improve mathematical performance in 11–13-year-olds – the Basketball Mathematics project” is published in Educational Psychology Review.

Media Contacts:

Associate Professor Jacob Wienecke
Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports
Email: wienecke@nexs.ku.dk
Mobile: +45 24 43 35 90

Communications Consultant Sole Bugge Møller
UCPH Press Department
Email: sole@adm.ku.dk
Mobile: +45 93 51 84 42

SOURCE: University of Copenhagen