Background: In the last 10 years, gamification has entered the educational field incrementally. The subject of Physical Education has been one of the scenarios where multiple gamified learning environments were carried out. The objective of this work was to evaluate and analyze the scientific evidence of the pedagogical proposals and didactic experiences that have used gamification in the Physical Education classroom in Kindergarten, Elementary School and Middle, Junior and High School. Methods: A systematic review has been carried out following the recommendations set by the PRISMA Declaration. A total of five international databases were used: Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, Sport Discus, ERIC and Psycinfo. The descriptors “gamification”, “gamify” and “Physical Education” were used, limiting the search to December 2021. Several inclusion and exclusion criteria have been established, selecting only empirical research articles. Results: The search yielded a total of 177 eligible articles, and finally, 17 scientific articles that addressed the effects of gamification in Physical Education were selected. No gamified didactic experiences have been found in Early Childhood Education, but they have been found in Elementary School (7 experiences) and Middle, Junior and High School Education (10 experiences). Most of the studies have confirmed an improvement in motivation and commitment toward physical exercise in students; only one study has confirmed improvements in academic performance. The diversity of the applied protocols and the different evaluation instruments used by the researchers prevent a meta-analysis of the data. Some studies that have used a hybrid pedagogical model are recorded, combining gamification with other pedagogical models, and confirmed positive effects on different variables such as intrinsic motivation or autonomy in learning. Conclusion: The results of this review suggest the need to continue evaluating the effects of applying gamification, as an active methodology, in the Physical Education classroom.

In the last two decades, research has proliferated in the field of pedagogical models used in school Physical Education. The growth is so high that it is necessary to do a quick review to know which models currently exist and which are emerging. The objective of this work is to collect all the models or pedagogical approaches present in the scientific literature related to school Physical Education and to make known, to the scientific and academic community, its main purposes and characteristics. A quick review of the literature found in the Web of Science and Scopus databases has been carried out using “pedagogical model” and “Physical Education” as descriptors. The results revealed a total of 19 pedagogical approaches that record scientific evidence linked to their application in the classroom. It was detected that some models or approaches were more scientifically supported than others, as is the case for Cooperative Learning, Sports Education, or Teaching Games for Understanding, while others barely registered in international scientific literature. It was concluded that researchers need to work together with Physical Education teachers to analyze the effectiveness of all these approaches. School teachers are also encouraged to vary their pedagogical approach depending on the content they are working on and the positive effects they are looking for in the psychic, motor, affective-emotional, and social domains of the students. Finally, it is proposed to researchers who promote new models or approaches a greater clarity of these to facilitate their application in the field of school Physical Education, since some difficulty has been detected in the practical application of some approaches.

Gamification along with a whole range of other active methodologies are being incorporated into university classrooms due to their potential benefits for student learning. The aim of this paper was to analyse how a multimodal learning environment based on gamification could affect the final grades of university students in a subject taught at the Faculty of Education in a spanish university. The research was made up of 133 Spanish university students (Mage = 19.60; SDage = 0.43 years old). A quasi-experimental post-test design with a control group was used. The control group and the intervention group consisted of 66 and 67 students respectively. A multimodal gamified learning environment was set up for the intervention group, in contrast to traditional teaching methods which were reserved for the control group. Each one was implemented throughout an academic year. The results revealed statistically significant differences in the final average grade (p < 0.001), with students from the intervention group obtaining higher overall scores. The same occurred in the voluntary learning tasks, with students from the intervention group earning more Health Points (p = 0.006), more Experience Points (p = 0.005), a higher Total Score (p = 0.002) and a higher Level Achieved (p = 0.002). These findings point to the fact that a multimodal gamified learning environment can influence the academic performance of students. However, more scientific research has to be carried out in order to support these findings.

Background: habits related to diet and physical activity in children were modified due to the lockdown that Spain had between March and June 2019 because of the health crisis caused by the appearance of SARS-CoV-2. The aim of the study was to know the impact that the lockdown had on physical fitness values in children aged 11–12. Methods: the study consisted of 50 Spanish children aged 11–12 (M = 11.40; SD = 0.50), 33 (66%) boys and 17 (34%) girls. Data collection was performed using the Alpha-Fitness Battery, a validated instrument to assess dietary intake, habits and practices, and an ad hoc survey to collect sociodemographic data and other information relevant to the study. Results: there were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the results of fitness variables measured in the standing long jump, agility speed and aerobic capacity, as well as in the results of maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂ max) between, before and after lockdown in both boys and girls. No significant differences were found in measurements of right and left hand grip (p > 0.05). Conclusions: there is evidence of a significant impact of SARS-CoV-2 lockdown on physical fitness values in boys and girls aged 11–12.

Background: During the great lockdown in Spain due to SARS-CoV-2, in between the months of March and June 2020, dietary and physical activity habits were modified in children. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of the lockdown on anthropometric parameters in children aged 11/12 years. Methods: Fifty Spanish children aged 11/12 years (M = 11.40; SD = 0.50) participated: 33 (66%) boys and 17 (34%) girls. For data collection, we used an anthropometry kit; the Alpha-Fitness Battery, a validated instrument to assess dietary intake, habits and practices; and an ad hoc survey to collect sociodemographic and other data under investigation. Results: There were significant differences in the anthropometric parameters measured and in the results obtained for Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat percentage pre- and post-lockdown in both boys and girls (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in waist-circumference measurements (p > 0.05). Conclusions: There is evidence of a significant impact of the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown on anthropometric parameters in boys and girls aged 11/12 years.

La población mundial envejece de forma progresiva, necesitando conocer las necesidades de las personas mayores para mejorar sus niveles de calidad de vida, en especial, a través del ejercicio físico. Actualmente, se desconocen los niveles reales de ejercicio físico en esta población, así como los niveles de calidad de vida y dependencia en muchas regiones mundiales. Por ello, el objetivo principal fue analizar los niveles de práctica de actividad física del adulto mayor, así como la asociación del ejercicio en su calidad de vida. Para ello, 344 adultos mayores de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (Argentina) respondieron a un cuestionario ad-hoc elaborado por un Comité de expertos y basados en herramientas validadas sobre ejercicio físico, dependencia y calidad de vida. Los principales hallazgos fueron que un 34.6% de la población no realiza actividad física semanalmente, gran parte de la población mostró tener alto nivel de independencia y se encontró asociación positiva entre las personas más activas y los mayores niveles de calidad de vida. Según estos resultados, se deben diseñar y aplicar nuevas estrategias de ejercicio físico comunitario para aumentar los niveles de calidad de vida e independencia incrementando el volumen y frecuencia de ejercicio físico en personas mayores, especialmente realizado de forma colectiva. Palabras clave: Adulto mayor, género, entrenamiento, dependencia. The world's population is ageing progressively, necessitating an understanding of the needs of older people to improve their quality of life, particularly through physical activity. Currently, the actual levels of physical exercise in this population are unknown, as well as the levels of quality of life and dependency in many regions of the world. Therefore, the main objective was to analyse the physical activity levels of older adults, as well as the association of exercise on their quality of life. For this purpose, 344 older adults from the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (Argentina) answered an ad-hoc questionnaire developed by a committee of experts and based on validated tools on physical exercise, dependence and quality of life. The main findings were that 34.6% of the population did not engage in weekly physical activity, a large part of the population showed a high level of independence, and a positive association was found between more active people and higher levels of quality of life. Based on these findings, new community physical exercise strategies should be designed and implemented to increase levels of quality of life and independence by increasing the volume and frequency of physical exercise in older people, especially done collectively. Keywords: Older adult, gender, training, dependence