School-Based Physical Activity Programmes: An Integrative Review of Health-Related Research
Vol.19,No.1(2025)
A widespread lack of healthy habits is a paramount concern to all, and schools, especially through physical education, can be an important setting to promote physical activity and healthier habits among young people. An integrative review was conducted between 2010 and 2023, exploring physical activity programmes in schools and to discuss strategies to elevate students’ physical activity levels and habits for a lifetime of autonomous wellbeing. The results included 42 articles: eight reviews completed on related research, 12 studies focused on school-based physical activity intervention programmes, and 22 dedicated to the relationship between physical activity, physical education and health. Recommendations include prioritizing longitudinal research, enhancing student-teacher relationship and collaboration, increasing the level of interest in physical education and the participation in enjoyable activities, developing young people’s knowledge, and addressing contextual factors affecting physical activity.
physical education; school; fitness for life; health; young people
Ana Mafalda Silva
University of Oporto
Ana Mafalda Coelho da Silva (0000-0003-4075-6198). PhD student at FADEUP immersed in the school setting, focused on pivotal aspects of PE, such as Assessment for Learning, PA and Fitness for Life. Her dedication to research has been supported by a PhD scholarship, enabling a deeper development into these critical topics. Mafalda’s goal is to empower students to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to become a lifetime of autonomous wellbeing. http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4075-6198
Amândio Graça
University of Oporto
Amândio Braga dos Santos Graça (0000-0003-1539-4201). Associate Professor with aggregation from FADEUP, specialized in Sports Pedagogy. Teacher of the master’s degree in PE teaching, master's degree in sports training and doctoral programme in Sports Science, member of the Network for Research in Learning-Service in PA and Sports for Social Inclusion (RIADIS). http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1539-4201
Ann MacPhail
University of Limerick
Ann MacPhail (0000-0002-0558-862X). Associate Vice President Doctoral College at the University of Limerick. Ann's main research interests revolve around (Physical Education) teacher education, curriculum development in PE, teaching, learning and assessment issues, methodological issues in working with young people and ethnography. Ann is Co-Director of the Physical Education, Physical Activity and Youth Sport Research Centre (PEPAYS) Ireland at the University of Limerick. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0558-862X
Paula Batista
Center for Research and Intervention in Education
Paula Maria Fazendeiro Batista (0000-0002-2820-895X). Assistant Professor at FADEUP in Sports Pedagogy. Teaches in the master’s degree in PE teaching and co-editor of the Journal of Sport Pedagogy & Research of the Scientific Society of Sport Pedagogy. Her research interests focus on professional competence, learning and assessment, PE curriculum, professional identity and pedagogical supervision. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2820-895X
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Copyright © 2025 Ana Mafalda Silva, Amândio Graça, Ann MacPhail, Paula Batista