Qualifications Of Physical Education, Sports, And Health Teachers In Elementary Schools: A Scoping Review Of Contemporary Empirical Evidence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29407/2ndbqb97Keywords:
teacher qualification, physical education, elementary schoolAbstract
Teacher qualification constitutes one of determinants of intructional quality in elementary school Physical Education, Sports, and Health (PE), yet the literature on this construct remains fragmented across terms that are not always equivalent, namely academic qualification, certification, professional education, teaching experience, competence, and specialist or generalist status. This article presents a scoping review that aims to map the scope, nature, and gaps in empirical evidence concerning elementary school PE teacher qualifications. The researchers followed the framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley and refined by Tricco et al. through the PRISMA-ScR guideline. The researchers developed a Boolean-based search strategy in the Scopus database and retrieved twenty-one initial articles, which they narrowed to nine articles published between 2020 and 2026 and ultimately retained seven articles that were thematically relevant. The researchers enriched the synthesis with twenty-four additional Scopus- or Web of Science-indexed references to strengthen the conceptual framework and critical discussion. The mapping identified six main subthemes: academic qualification, certification or licensure, professional education and continuing professional development, teaching experience, pedagogical and professional competence, and specialist or generalist teacher status. The researchers found that the relationship between formal teacher qualifications and student learning outcomes remains inconsistent. Some studies reported positive effects, whereas others found no significant relationship after controlling for classroom- and school-level confounders. The researchers also identified a research gap in developing-country contexts, including Indonesia, where small-scale descriptive and correlational designs still dominate. This article recommends that future researchers develop longitudinal multilevel designs to test the causal mechanisms linking PE teacher qualifications with elementary school students’ motor development, physical literacy, and higher-order thinking competence.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Saeful Rohman Epul, Bambang Abduljabar (Author)
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