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.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of many people. Objective: The aim of the present study was to analyse the physical activity (PA) and daily routine among children (0–12 years) during lockdown and to establish the main relationships among the variables. Methods: A quantitative study with a descriptive–comparative and cross-sectional design carried out. The sample, selected for convenience, consisted of 837 Spanish children aged 0–12. The “Children and confinement” questionnaire was used, distributed electronically through Google Forms and social networks and activated for 45 days. The individuals participating in this study were mainly children (50.2%) who were in primary education (44.8%). Predominantly, the families of participants were biparental (87.9%), with established routines and schedules (85.7%). Results and conclusions: The use of digital screens is an important part of children’s daily routine. Their daily activities were practiced for more than three–six years, with more by girls. The time children devoted to sleep was directly proportional to the time they devoted to physical activity and indirectly proportional to the time they spent watching screens. The children who slept the most were those aged zero–three years, especially girls, who belonged to large families. The levels of physical activity in the sample were low, as were the times spent on activities such as music or games.

The purpose of this paper was to explore the job satisfaction of physical education teachers. A descriptive-interpretative methodology was applied to data from a questionnaire aimed at primary and secondary school physical education teachers who work in public, state-funded and private schools in Spain. The contributions of self-determination theory as a framework for studying teacher job satisfaction have been the foundation for substantiating and interpreting the research findings. In this sense, we have taken into account the basic psychological needs and motivations of teachers as triggers for their professional satisfaction. In line with most of the research reviewed, feelings of competence for the job, decision-making autonomy as well as relational and psychological aspects seem to play a determinant role in the development of professional satisfaction. As a recommendation, we note that teacher satisfaction improves when there is full support by education administrators, high performance standards, appreciation for teaching work and collegiality among peers.

Introducción: Las TIC están presentes en muchos hogares estableciendo cambios en la comunicación social y estilo de vida. En el año 2020 se ha declarado en España el estado de alarma con un importante periodo de confinamiento debido a la aparición de una nueva pandemia mundial COVID-19. A través de este trabajo se realiza una radiografía del equipamiento y uso de las TIC en los hogares españoles con niños menores de 12 años durante el periodo de confinamiento y cómo ese tiempo y las TIC han influido en los hábitos sociales de los niños, su estilo de vida y nivel de actividad física. Metodología: Se realizó una investigación cuantitativa con un diseño no experimental, de carácter descriptivo, comparativo y correlacional, con una única medición en un solo grupo. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 837 niños españoles menores de 12 años. Resultados: Se confirma un número importante de dispositivos electrónicos en los hogares, tiempos de uso diferentes para cada uno y la existencia de diversas correlaciones entre TIC y hábitos sociales y de estilo de vida de los niños. Discusión: Otros trabajos confirman valores similares de dispositivos electrónicos en los hogares, así como el sobreuso de algunos de ellos en detrimento de la actividad física. Conclusiones: El periodo de confinamiento ha provocado cambios notables en el estilo de vida de los niños y sus hábitos sociales. La presencia de un mayor o menor número de TIC en el hogar y su uso puede influir en otras actividades realizadas por los niños.