Physically Active Learning and Primary Students' Outcomes: A Bibliometric Science Mapping Study (2000–2026)
Keywords:
Efficiency, Knowledge Management, Tax Administration, Tax Officer, Training
Abstract
This study presents a bibliometric analysis of Physically Active Learning (PAL) and its relationship with primary school students' learning outcomes. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no prior bibliometric study has exclusively focused on PAL as a pedagogical construct. Using the Scopus database (2000–2026), a modified PRISMA approach, and VOSviewer v.1.6.20, 1,001 articles from 374 journals were analyzed. The dataset yielded 21,897 citations, an h-index of 68, and a CAGR of 17.1% (2010–2025). Three temporal phases were identified: health-oriented foundation (2000–2010), pedagogical diversification (2011–2017), and expansion–consolidation (2018–2026). Thematic analyses suggest a gradual paradigm shift from PAL as a health intervention toward a pedagogically oriented strategy, reflected in the increasing prominence of embodied learning and movement integration. The United States dominates global production (45.1%), while Indonesia remains underrepresented (1.5%). This study proposes research directions for Indonesian scholars, including traditional game-based PAL interventions and Merdeka Belajar curriculum integration.
Keywords: Efficiency, Knowledge Management, Tax Administration, Tax Officer, Training
References
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Muntaner‐Mas, A., Morales, J. S., Martínez‐de‐Quel, Ó., Lubans, D. R., & García‐Hermoso, A. (2024). Acute effect of physical activity on academic outcomes in school‐aged youth: a systematic review and multivariate meta‐analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14479
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Pham, X.-L., & Le, T. T. (2024). Bibliometric analysis and systematic review of research on expert finding: a PRISMA-guided Approach. The International Arab Journal of Information Technology, 21(4). https://doi.org/10.34028/iajit/21/4/9
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Sales, D., da Silva Junior, J. P., Bergamo, R. R., de Oliveira, L. C., Ferrari, G., & Matsudo, V. (2023). Association between school environment with sedentary behavior and physical activity intensity in children. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 6995. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33732-9
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Watson, A., Timperio, A., Brown, H., Best, K., & Hesketh, K. D. (2017). Effect of classroom-based physical activity interventions on academic and physical activity outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 114. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0569-9
Way, J., & Ginns, P. (2024). Embodied learning in early mathematics education: translating research into principles to inform teaching. Education Sciences, 14(7), 696. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070696
Webster, C. A., Russ, L., Vazou, S., Goh, T. L., & Erwin, H. (2015). Integrating movement in academic classrooms: understanding, applying and advancing the knowledge base. Obesity Reviews, 16(8), 691–701. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12285
Wood, N. S., Cooper, S. B., Dring, K. J., Magistro, D., & Boat, R. (2025). Examining a teacher-led physically active mathematics intervention: teachers’ perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to implementation in UK primary schools. Frontiers in Education, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1569479
Zupic, I., & Čater, T. (2015). Bibliometric methods in management and organization. Organizational Research Methods, 18(3), 429–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114562629
Clughen, L. (2024). ‘Embodiment is the future’: what is embodiment and is it the future paradigm for learning and teaching in higher education? Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 61(4), 735–747. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2215226
Cobo, M. J., López-Herrera, A. G., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Herrera, F. (2011). An approach for detecting, quantifying, and visualizing the evolution of a research field: A practical application to the Fuzzy Sets Theory field. Journal of Informetrics, 5(1), 146–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2010.10.002
Daly-Smith, A., Morris, J. L., Norris, E., Williams, T. L., Archbold, V., Kallio, J., Tammelin, T. H., Singh, A., Mota, J., von Seelen, J., Pesce, C., Salmon, J., McKay, H., Bartholomew, J., & Resaland, G. K. (2021). Behaviours that prompt primary school teachers to adopt and implement physically active learning: a meta synthesis of qualitative evidence. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 18(1), 151. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-021-01221-9
Donnelly, J. E., Greene, J. L., Gibson, C. A., Smith, B. K., Washburn, R. A., Sullivan, D. K., DuBose, K., Mayo, M. S., Schmelzle, K. H., Ryan, J. J., Jacobsen, D. J., & Williams, S. L. (2009). Physical activity across the curriculum (PAAC): a randomized controlled trial to promote physical activity and diminish overweight and obesity in elementary school children. Preventive Medicine, 49(4), 336–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2009.07.022
Donnelly, J. E., & Lambourne, K. (2011). Classroom-based physical activity, cognition, and academic achievement. Preventive Medicine, 52, S36–S42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.01.021
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133(April), 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022. (2022). In WHO Press, World Health Organization. World Health Organization.
He, H., Yang, Y., Sun, J., Wang, F., Zhang, W., & Zhu, F. (2025). Effects of school-based physical activity on academic achievement in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1651883
Hernández-González, V., Carné-Torrent, J. M., Jové-Deltell, C., & Reverter-Masia, J. (2025). Global research trends on physical education practices: a bibliometric analysis and science-mapping study. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1532754
Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: Exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9, 58–65. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2298
Johnson-Glenberg, M. C., Birchfield, D. A., Tolentino, L., & Koziupa, T. (2014). Collaborative embodied learning in mixed reality motion-capture environments: Two science studies. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(1), 86–104. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034008
Kusumawati, E., & Umam, K. (2025). Strengthening teacher competence for leading and sustaining the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum. Cogent Education, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2501458
Kuzik, N., da Costa, B. G. G., Hwang, Y., Verswijveren, S. J. J. M., Rollo, S., Tremblay, M. S., Bélanger, S., Carson, V., Davis, M., Hornby, S., Huang, W. Y., Law, B., Salmon, J., Tomasone, J. R., Wachira, L.-J., Wijndaele, K., & Saunders, T. J. (2022). School-related sedentary behaviours and indicators of health and well-being among children and youth: a systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 19(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-022-01258-4
Li, S., Guo, J., Zheng, K., Shi, M., & Huang, T. (2022). Is sedentary behavior associated with executive function in children and adolescents? a systematic review. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.832845
Lotka, A. J. (1926). The frequency distribution of scientific productivity. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 16(12), 317–323.
Mahar, M. T., Murphy, S. K., Rowe, D. A., Golden, J., Shields, A. T., & Raedeke, T. D. (2006). Effects of a classroom-based program on physical activity and on-task behavior. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 38(12), 2086–2094. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000235359.16685.a3
Martín-Martín, A., Orduna-Malea, E., Thelwall, M., & Delgado López-Cózar, E. (2018). Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus: A systematic comparison of citations in 252 subject categories. Journal of Informetrics, 12(4), 1160–1177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2018.09.002
Muntaner‐Mas, A., Morales, J. S., Martínez‐de‐Quel, Ó., Lubans, D. R., & García‐Hermoso, A. (2024). Acute effect of physical activity on academic outcomes in school‐aged youth: a systematic review and multivariate meta‐analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14479
Norris, E., van Steen, T., Direito, A., & Stamatakis, E. (2020). Physically active lessons in schools and their impact on physical activity, educational, health and cognition outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(14), 826–838. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-100502
OECD. (2020). Curriculum Overload. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/3081ceca-en
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Peserta didik – Data pendidikan nasional. (2026). Pusat Data dan Teknologi Informasi Pendidikan.
Pham, X.-L., & Le, T. T. (2024). Bibliometric analysis and systematic review of research on expert finding: a PRISMA-guided Approach. The International Arab Journal of Information Technology, 21(4). https://doi.org/10.34028/iajit/21/4/9
Resaland, G. K., Aadland, E., Moe, V. F., Aadland, K. N., Skrede, T., Stavnsbo, M., Suominen, L., Steene-Johannessen, J., Glosvik, Ø., Andersen, J. R., Kvalheim, O. M., Engelsrud, G., Andersen, L. B., Holme, I. M., Ommundsen, Y., Kriemler, S., van Mechelen, W., McKay, H. A., Ekelund, U., & Anderssen, S. A. (2016). Effects of physical activity on schoolchildren’s academic performance: The Active Smarter Kids (ASK) cluster-randomized controlled trial. Preventive Medicine, 91, 322–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.09.005
Sales, D., da Silva Junior, J. P., Bergamo, R. R., de Oliveira, L. C., Ferrari, G., & Matsudo, V. (2023). Association between school environment with sedentary behavior and physical activity intensity in children. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 6995. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33732-9
van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
Watson, A., Timperio, A., Brown, H., Best, K., & Hesketh, K. D. (2017). Effect of classroom-based physical activity interventions on academic and physical activity outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 114. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0569-9
Way, J., & Ginns, P. (2024). Embodied learning in early mathematics education: translating research into principles to inform teaching. Education Sciences, 14(7), 696. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070696
Webster, C. A., Russ, L., Vazou, S., Goh, T. L., & Erwin, H. (2015). Integrating movement in academic classrooms: understanding, applying and advancing the knowledge base. Obesity Reviews, 16(8), 691–701. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12285
Wood, N. S., Cooper, S. B., Dring, K. J., Magistro, D., & Boat, R. (2025). Examining a teacher-led physically active mathematics intervention: teachers’ perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to implementation in UK primary schools. Frontiers in Education, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1569479
Zupic, I., & Čater, T. (2015). Bibliometric methods in management and organization. Organizational Research Methods, 18(3), 429–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114562629
Published
2026-10-13
How to Cite
Jeni Arianti Pa Nyola, Mubiar Agustin, & Idat Muqodas. (2026). Physically Active Learning and Primary Students’ Outcomes: A Bibliometric Science Mapping Study (2000–2026). International Journal of Education, Vocational and Social Science , 5(04), 3015-3028. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i04.6825
Contact Person +6282139474255
Email : ijevss@citakonsultindo.or.id / editor.ijevss@gmail.com
