Is there education in physical education? A narrative systematic review of research in physical education and learning

Abstract

Over the past five decades uncertainty around the value, purpose, and educational relevance of Physical Education (PE) as a school subject has been cultivated amongst key stakeholders in the education community. Within an Australian context there is a paucity of evidence to demonstrate that learning occurs in PE. The aim of this narrative systematic review was to identify and appraise what research on learning has been conducted in Australia since the year 2000 in PE. Results indicated that targeted interventions in PE improved student Fundamental Movement Skills, physical activity levels, and favourably impacted affective outcomes, and that the PE teacher and their chosen pedagogical approaches exhibit most influence on student learning. There was a lack of evidence to demonstrate that authentic learning occurs in PE, highlighting the need for PE researchers, practitioners, and teachers to design and lead empirical and robust research on learning in PE.