The Impact of Content Knowledge on Pedagogical Content Knowledge Development and Student Performance in Physical Education: A Systematic Review

Purpose : This systematic review explores the impact of content knowledge (CK) on pedagogical content knowledge development for physical education teachers and its subsequent effects on student performance. Method : A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-guided search across Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and ERIC (1986–2024) identified eight studies. Eligibility criteria included physical education teachers, CK interventions, and experimental designs. Quality was assessed using RoB 2.0. Results : CK interventions significantly enhanced teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (e.g., task representation, task selection, feedback quality, and task adaptations). These improvements correlated with student gains in motor skills and game performance. Discussion/Conclusion : The review highlights that CK robustly enhances pedagogical content knowledge particularly through specialized content knowledge.