Efficacy of Physical and Online Adaptive Yoga Intervention on Attention, Executive Functions and Hyperactivity Among Pre-Schoolers in Malaysia

How, Ai Teng (2026) Efficacy of Physical and Online Adaptive Yoga Intervention on Attention, Executive Functions and Hyperactivity Among Pre-Schoolers in Malaysia. Masters thesis, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Early childhood is a crucial stage for developing attention, executive control, and behavioural regulation whereby skills that form the foundation of school readiness and socio-emotional development. This study examined the effects of adaptive yoga interventions delivered through physical, blended and control group on attention, executive functions, and hyperactivity among Malaysian pre-schoolers. Guided by principles of embodied cognition and self-regulation theory, the study employed a quasi-experimental design with quantitative analysis using non-parametric tests. A total of 29 pre-school children aged 4 to 6 years participated, distributed equally across the three intervention modes. The physical group engaged in structured adaptive yoga sessions lasting 30 minutes, twice weekly, over a 12- week period, incorporating 10 to 12 short, age-appropriate postures per session; the blended group completed half of the sessions at school and half online; the control group did not participate in any yoga sessions. Data were collected using standardized instruments, including the ADHD Rating Scale–IV for attention and hyperactivity and the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (Flanker and Dimensional Change Card Sort tasks) for executive functions. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS, applying the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test, Kruskal–Wallis Test, and Friedman Test. Results revealed significant improvements in several areas. Parent-rated hyperactivity decreased significantly across the intervention period (p = 0.019, r = 3.793), and the overall parent-rated total score also showed a strong improvement (p = 0.000, r = 0.931). Selective attention increased significantly (p = 0.001), while teacher-rated measures showed modest but consistent gains. For sustained attention, significant differences were observed between intervention durations, favouring the 12-week programme (U = 28.00, p = 0.041, r = 0.46), as well as between intervention groups. The Kruskal–Wallis Test showed significant group differences in sustained attention (χ²(2) = 6.42, p = 0.040) and Flanker task performance (χ²(2) = 5.97, p = 0.050), indicating differential executive functioning outcomes across delivery modes. Further analyses across assessment phases revealed significant changes in parent-rated total (p = 0.024), Flanker (p = 0.006), Dimensional Change Card Sort (p = 0.017), and selective attention (p = 0.001), with the physical and blended groups demonstrating more favourable outcomes compared to the control group. Overall, the findings suggest that adaptive yoga interventions were associated with improvements in pre-schoolers’ attention, executive functioning, and behavioural regulation, particularly under physical and blended conditions. These findings underscore the pedagogical value of embodied learning in early childhood education and support the integration of adaptive yoga into pre-school curricula as a sustainable, low-cost strategy to promote self-regulation, attention, and classroom readiness. Future studies should extend the intervention period and examine retention effects to determine the long-term benefits of adaptive yoga in early learning contexts.