The Digital Transformation of Physical Education: A Global Bibliometric Analysis of Technology Integration, Design-Based Research, and Emerging Pedagogical Frontiers (2016–2025)

Abstrak

The rapid advancement of digital technologies has fundamentally transformed educational systems worldwide, including the field of physical education (PE). Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), wearable devices, learning analytics, and smart learning environments are increasingly reshaping pedagogical practices, assessment strategies, and learner engagement. Despite the growing body of literature on technology-enhanced physical education, existing studies remain fragmented across multiple disciplines, and a comprehensive understanding of the intellectual, conceptual, and collaborative development of this research domain is still lacking. Therefore, this study aims to systematically map and analyze the global scientific landscape of digital transformation in physical education from 2016 to 2025. A bibliometric research design was employed using the Scopus database as the primary data source. Following the PRISMA 2020 screening procedure, 227 peer-reviewed journal articles were selected for analysis. Bibliometric analyses were conducted using Bibliometrix (R Package) and Biblioshiny to examine scientific productivity, citation performance, collaboration networks, conceptual structures, intellectual foundations, thematic evolution, and emerging research trends. The findings reveal a substantial increase in scientific production over the analyzed period, with an annual growth rate of 46.97%, indicating the rapid expansion of digital research in physical education. China emerged as the dominant contributor to scientific collaboration, while institutions from Europe, Asia, and Oceania played significant roles in advancing the field. Keyword co-occurrence and thematic analyses identified physical education, digital learning, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, educational technology, and student-centered learning as the most influential research themes. Thematic evolution analysis demonstrated a clear transition from traditional physical education and sport participation toward intelligent learning environments characterized by adaptive learning, immersive technologies, learning analytics, and data-driven pedagogical innovation. The results indicate an increasing convergence between technology integration frameworks, particularly TPACK and TAM, and Design-Based Research (DBR) approaches in developing sustainable educational innovations. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive bibliometric overview of digital transformation in physical education and proposing a future research agenda toward the development of Intelligent Physical Education Ecosystems. The findings highlight the growing importance of AI-assisted instruction, immersive learning environments, wearable technologies, smart learning systems, and design-oriented pedagogical innovation in shaping the future of physical education. These insights offer valuable implications for researchers, educators, curriculum developers, policymakers, and educational technology designers seeking to advance digitally mediated and learner-centered physical education practices.