Towards an efficacy-sensitive and gender-responsive active learning framework in Physical Education: a theoretical systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v81.119439Keywords:
Active learning, Physical Education, project-based learning, inquiry teaching, self-efficacy, gender-responsive participationAbstract
Background: Active learning is increasingly promoted in physical education, yet its links with Project-Based Learning, Inquiry Teaching, self-efficacy, gender-responsive participation, and learning outcomes remain insufficiently integrated. In physical education, students are expected not only to perform movement tasks, but also to understand movement concepts, collaborate, build confidence, and participate equitably in visible and embodied learning contexts. Therefore, active learning should be viewed as a pedagogical system shaped by instructional design, psychological readiness, gender-responsive participation, and teacher scaffolding.
Objective: This theoretical systematic review synthesizes literature on active learning in physical education to develop an integrated framework explaining how Project-Based Learning and Inquiry Teaching support meaningful learning outcomes through self-efficacy regulation and gender-responsive participation.
Methodology: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, studies were identified from multiple academic databases and scholarly search platforms. After duplicate removal, title and abstract screening, full-text eligibility assessment, and predefined exclusion procedures, 38 studies were included in the final synthesis. Thematic synthesis was used to identify recurring pedagogical mechanisms across the literature.
Results: Five cross-cutting themes emerged: movement-based autonomy, guided cognitive engagement, self-efficacy regulation, gender-responsive participation, and pedagogical scaffolding. These themes inform the proposed Efficacy-Sensitive and Gender-Responsive Active Learning Framework in Physical Education, positioning Project-Based Learning and Inquiry Teaching as complementary models requiring confidence-building, equitable participation, and structured teacher support.
Conclusions: Active learning in physical education should be understood as a structured, inclusive, and scaffolded pedagogical system, not merely student-centered instruction. Future empirical studies should test this framework across school levels, cultural contexts, and physical education settings.
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