Physical education in rural schools: A scoping review

Abstract

While research on rural education has increased over the last decade, the focus on physical education (PE) in this body of knowledge is limited. The purpose of this scoping review was twofold: (1) to offer an overview of the international research on PE in rural schools, and (2) to discuss and analyse the existing body of literature on rural PE. Specifically, we explored the question: what do we know about PE in rural schools? The present review was conducted according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A total of 281 articles were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria in three stages: (1) title screen, (2) abstract screen, and (3) full-text screen. A total of 24 studies underwent two stages of analysis. First, the matrix was analysed inductively to identify characteristics of the publications. Second, the authors developed a ‘living codebook’ to track, refine, debate, and agree on the final analytical codes. Three themes were developed in the analysis: (1) a deficit narrative of rural PE, (2) rural schools as sites of PE intervention, and (3) rural schools leverage partnerships to enhance their capacity to deliver PE. These findings were mainly constrained to the dominant perspectives emanating from Australia and the United States. We conclude the review by suggesting that to further advance knowledge of rural PE, there need to be more strengths-based investigations of how PE is positively enacted in more and different rural schools, especially across broader international contexts.