SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Educational Psychology
A Network Meta-Analysis of Pedagogical Models in Physical Education: Evaluating Multidimensional Learning Outcomes and Instructional Duration Effects
JINGXIA GUO 1
QICHAO YU 2
Zulezwan bin Ab Malik 1
1. Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjong Malim, Malaysia
2. Hanjiang Normal University, Shiyan, China
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Abstract
Purpose: This study systematically evaluated the comparative effectiveness of pedagogical models (PMs) on multidimensional learning outcomes in physical education and examined the moderating role of instructional duration. Method: A systematic search was conducted across seven databases (e.g., Web of Science, PubMed) for studies published between 2000 and 2025. Methodological quality was assessed using MINORS. A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis (NMA) was performed using standardized mean differences (SMDs) to enable comparison across diverse outcome measures. Results: Sixty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Probabilistic rankings suggested that Hybrid Pedagogical Models (HPMs) showed comparatively high effectiveness for tactical decision-making (SUCRA = 80.1%) and skill execution (SUCRA = 77.2%), Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) ranked highest for student motivation (SUCRA = 82.1%), and Sport Education (SE) demonstrated favourable effects for enjoyment (SUCRA = 74.0%). However, pairwise comparisons revealed overlapping credible intervals, indicating uncertainty in the magnitude of differences between models. In addition, significant publication bias was detected for skill execution outcomes (p = 0.0077), suggesting that these effects should be interpreted cautiously. Subgroup analyses identified instructional duration as an important moderator, with interventions approaching or exceeding approximately 720 minutes—equivalent to a sustained instructional unit—associated with more consistent effects and reduced heterogeneity. Conclusion: No single pedagogical model can be considered universally superior. Instead, the findings support a goal-oriented approach to model selection aligned with intended learning outcomes and implemented over sufficient instructional duration. Ensuring sustained exposure Which pedagogical models are most effective for improving tactical, decision-making, motivation, and enjoyment in school-based PE? 2 (≈720 minutes) appears critical for enabling student-centered pedagogies to realize their educational potential.
Summary
Keywords
Bayesiannetwork meta-analysis, hybrid pedagogical model, learning outcomes, pedagogical models, Physical Education
Received
13 December 2025
Accepted
20 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 GUO, YU and bin Ab Malik. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: QICHAO YU
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