Background: With the increasing prevalence of sedentary lifestyles and childhood obesity, physical activity and exercise have emerged as essential pillars of health promotion in childhood. In this context, schools play a fundamental role as key players in the implementation of interventions that promote healthy habits and a more physically active life. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of the benefits of strength training in primary school students. Methods: The review was carried out using the Web of Science and Scopus databases, following the guidelines of the PRISMA statement and a PICO strategy. The studies were selected according to different inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in 11 scientific articles published in English during the last 5 years (2020–2024). The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the STROBE checklist. Results: The results suggest that strength training with elementary school students improves physical and motor performance variables, as well as cognitive, psychosocial and health variables. Likewise, it can be observed that plyometric strength-training methods and unilateral and combined programs with aerobic and motor skills training are highly effective and favor adherence to physical exercise. This also demonstrates the importance and necessity of developing motor coordination skills from an early age, since they represent a determining factor in strength training as the exercises become more specific and complex. Conclusions: In conclusion, implementing strength training programs in primary education confers several benefits at an integral level for the students and is crucial to improving the lifestyle and quality of life of students.

(1) Background: Handball is conceptualized as a complex dynamic system characterized by emergent behaviors, non-linearity, attractors, and self-organization, influenced by players’ interactions, environmental conditions, and tactical elements. This perspective emphasizes the importance of communication, adaptive strategies, and modern teaching methods like Non-linear Pedagogy for improving technical-tactical behaviors, advocating for a multidisciplinary approach to deepen its understanding. Thus, this narrative review aims to explore how modern theories and approaches can be integrated to provide a deeper understanding of handball’s complexity from a broad and multidisciplinary perspective. (2) Methods: A narrative review approach was employed to integrate key concepts such as chaos theory, self-organization, and non-linear pedagogy as they apply to the game’s technical-tactical dynamics. The methodology involved a comprehensive literature review to identify how emergent perceptual and social interactions influence collective performance. (3) Results: Findings indicate that team performance is not solely dependent on individual skills but on their capacity for synchronization, adaptation, and self-organization in response to competitive demands. Communication and internal cohesion emerged as critical factors for adjustment and autonomous decision-making, framed within Luhmann’s social systems theory. (4) Conclusions: The conclusions suggest that training methodologies should incorporate non-linear approaches that promote self-organization, adaptability, and player autonomy. This multidisciplinary perspective offers a deeper understanding of handball and highlights its applicability to other team sports, maximizing performance through an integrative analysis of social, philosophical, and communicative components.

En el presente estudio se utilizó una metodología cualitativa fenomenológica y tuvo como objetivo analizar la reflexión profesional narrada por un grupo de estudiantes de Educación Física posterior al desarrollo de una propuesta de innovación educativa basada en el aprendizaje basado en proyectos (ABP) y la gamificación educativa. Participaron 30 estudiantes de Educación Física chilenos con edades entre 22 y 24 años, de los cuales 8 eran mujeres y 22 eran hombres, con el total de estudiantes se conformaron 7 grupos de trabajo. Los grupos desarrollaron rutas de desplazamiento activo donde monitorizaron la intensidad de las rutas con dispositivos móviles como el Apple Watch®, Smartwatch® y celulares, se desarrollaron infografías con PREZI®, POWERPOINT® y CANVA®, para el desarrollo de las propuestas de gamificación se utilizó la aplicación KAHOOT®. Los resultados de la reflexión fueron analizados con el software ATLASti®. En total se desarrollaron siete rutas activas, 16 infografías y seis propuestas de gamificación para el aprendizaje. Los resultados derivados de las reflexiones individuales arrojaron que los estudiantes obtuvieron un aprendizaje reflexivo profundo en el uso integrado de las estrategias ya que permitieron profundizar en las áreas del Enfoque Educativo y Metodológico, Formación Docente, Contexto y Ambiente. Se concluye que la sinergia entre el aprendizaje basado en proyectos (ABP) y la gamificación permiten desarrollar el aprendizaje profundo y ofrece un panorama prometedor para la mejora educativa favoreciendo el aprendizaje y adquisición de competencias en los futuros profesores de Educación Física, estas estrategias permiten generar innovaciones educativas en un contexto educacional real. Palabras clave: Centro de enseñanza; aprendizaje; innovación pedagógica; método de enseñanza The present study used a qualitative phenomenological methodology and its objective was to analyze the professional reflection narrated by a group of Physical Education students after the development of an educational innovation proposal based on project-based learning (PBL) and educational gamification. Thirty Chilean Physical Education students between the ages of 22 and 24 years old participated, of which 8 were women and 22 were men; 7 work groups were formed with the total number of students. The groups developed active displacement routes where they monitored the intensity of the routes with mobile devices such as Apple Watch®, Smartwatch® and cell phones, infographics were developed with PREZI®, POWERPOINT® and CANVA®, for the development of the gamification proposals the KAHOOT® application was used. The results of the reflection were analyzed with ATLASti® software. In total, seven active routes, 16 infographics and six gamification proposals for learning were developed. The results derived from the individual reflections showed that the students obtained a deep reflective learning in the integrated use of the strategies since they allowed deepening in the areas of Educational and Methodological Approach, Teacher Training, Context and Environment. It is concluded that the synergy between project-based learning (PBL) and gamification allows the development of deep learning and offers a promising outlook for educational improvement favoring learning and acquisition of competencies in future Physical Education teachers, these strategies allow the generation of educational innovations in a real educational context. Keywords: Teaching center; learning; pedagogical innovation; teaching method; teaching methods

Traditional models to train and teach young players in team sports assume that athletes learn as linear systems. However, an actual methodology called Non-Linear Pedagogy (NLP) accounts for the fact that the players and the team are complex dynamic systems. Experiences in handball under this methodology are scarce; due to this, an observational study has been conducted with a follow-up, idiographic and multidimensional design, in which 14 female school handball players belonging to four different local teams in Santiago, Chile (age = 15.55 + 0.51) agreed to participate in three special handball training sessions with the use of the NLP methodology where three different constraints were used. Descriptive analysis with the Chi-squared test showed a total of 252 observations where most of the variables were dependent on the constraints (p ≤ 0.001). Frequency showed that mainly “Defense in Line of progression” and “Proximal contact” were the most activated variables, followed by “Harassment” and “Deterrence” for all constraints. However, only constraint 2 highly activated two collective motor behaviors, while the rest only did it with individual motor behaviors. It is concluded that the constraints used in training seem to be effective in activating a group of defensive handball motor behaviors, specifically those that are basic for female school handball players.

Introducción: La evaluación de competencias en la formación de docentes de educación física es fundamental para desarrollar habilidades esenciales en el ejercicio profesional. Estas competencias incluyen conocimientos técnicos, habilidades prácticas y un enfoque integral que abarca dimensiones pedagógicas y éticas. La diversidad en las competencias refleja la pluralidad de enfoques adoptados por las instituciones de educación superior, que priorizan diferentes áreas para responder a las demandas del sistema escolar actual. Objetivo: Analizar los tipos de competencias evaluadas durante la formación de profesores de educación física. Método: Se realizó una revisión sistemática siguiendo la declaración PRISMA, abarcando artículos en las bases de datos WoS, Scopus, Sportdiscus y ERIC, hasta julio de 2024. Los estudios se seleccionaron en función de criterios específicos de inclusión. Resultados: De un total de 820 estudios identificados, 38 cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión y fueron clasificados en siete categorías principales: a) Competencias comunicativas; b) Competencias tecnológicas y digitales; c) Competencias didácticas y pedagógicas; d) Competencias personales y socioemocionales; e) Competencias en inclusión y adaptación a contextos diversos; f) Competencias de identidad profesional y ética; y g) Competencias evaluativas y de retroalimentación. Conclusión: La priorización de competencias pedagógicas y socioemocionales en la formación de docentes de educación física fomenta un enfoque integral que genera una formación equilibrada y adaptable, promoviendo un desempeño eficaz en contextos educativos diversos.

Introduction: The developmental stage of handball training is critical for the enhancement of physical fitness. However, there is considerable methodological variability in the interventions implemented to improve performance in children and adolescents. Objective: This paper examines the characteristics and effectiveness of physical training interventions on fitness components in youth handball players through a systematic review and meta-analysis. The review identifies and classifies the types of strategies and training modalities used, while the meta-analysis quantifies their effects on physical performance. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in the databases Web of Science, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and MEDLINE, identifying 61 studies. Of these, fifty-three were included in the systematic review and eight met the criteria for the meta-analysis. The analysis focused on interventions targeting 787 participants aged 8 to 18 years (15.4 mean) and addressing various components of physical fitness. The methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Results: The meta-analysis revealed significant and positive effects of the interventions on physical performance. Plyometric training was associated with improvements in peak power (SMD = 1.41; 95% CI: 0.91 to 1.91), sprint performance (SMD = −1.27; 95% CI: −1.93 to −0.62), and jump ability (SMD = 3.69; 95% CI: 3.21 to 4.17). Resistance band training also showed a positive impact on jump height (SMD = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.25 to 1.86) and agility (SMD = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.65). Heterogeneity ranged from low to moderate across outcomes. Conclusion: Plyometric and resistance band training interventions are effective strategies to enhance physical fitness in young handball players. These findings provide a scientific basis for designing evidence-based training programs aimed at comprehensive physical development during formative athletic stages.