Physical activity is recognized as crucial for children’s development in many aspects. However, its integration into the classroom remains a challenge, particularly in STEM subjects, despite this area being a central component of school curricula worldwide. This systematic review investigates the characteristics and the relationships between active breaks (AB) and curriculum-based active breaks (CB) interventions on executive functions, attention, on-task behavior, performance in STEM, and math anxiety in primary school children. A database search, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, was conducted in March 2024, identifying 19 eligible studies for descriptive analysis and assessed for risk of bias. A total of 13 studies focused on AB, four on CB, and two compared the two conditions. Only one paper considered math anxiety. The results revealed mixed effects on executive functions and attention, with some studies reporting improvements and others finding no significant changes. Math performance improved with both AB and CB interventions, especially when AB lasted 10 to 20 min. Most interventions were led by teachers, though few studies incorporated intervention fidelity. Overall, the inconsistent findings highlight the need for further research to determine the optimal characteristics for effective interventions and reliable assessment methods and to explore long-term effects and the appropriate level of teacher involvement.

This paper analyzes policies and interventions implemented at the regional level in Sicily to combat early school leaving. Through systematic document analysis (SDA), institutional documents, regulations, reports, and operational plans produced between 2019-2024 were examined. The analysis revealed increasing inter-institutional coordination, while critical issues emerge in provincial disparities and the sustainability of interventions. The conclusions highlight the importance of systematizing interventions, improving impact evaluation mechanisms, and developing strategies that effectively integrate schools, families, and local communities. Politiche regionali di contrasto alla dispersione scolastica in Sicilia: un’analisi documentale sistematica. Il presente studio analizza le politiche e gli interventi attuati a livello regionale in Sicilia per contrastare la dispersione scolastica. Attraverso l’analisi sistematica della documentazione (SDA), sono stati esaminati documenti istituzionali, normative, relazioni e piani operativi prodotti tra il 2019 e il 2024. L’analisi ha evidenziato un crescente coordinamento interistituzionale, mentre emergono criticità nelle disparità provinciali e nella sostenibilità degli interventi. Le conclusioni sottolineano l’importanza di sistematizzare gli interventi, migliorare i meccanismi di valutazione d’impatto e sviluppare strategie che integrino efficacemente scuole, famiglie e comunità locali.