Embodiment in physical education: A deductive content analysis of empirical literature to gain conceptual clarity and pedagogical insights

Recent interest in physical literacy, meaningful physical education (PE), and bodily pleasure has brought renewed attention to the notion of embodiment in PE (EPE). Yet embodiment remains conceptually complex and often poorly understood. Building on previous theoretical work that identified five attributes of EPE, intentionality, affect, meaning, shared, and unity, this study sought to consolidate and refine an emerging EPE approach. We examine how these attributes are evidenced in empirical literature and use this analysis to elaborate and, where necessary, extend an emerging pedagogical EPE approach. A deductive content analysis was conducted on 48 peer-reviewed empirical articles published between 2010 and 2025, sourced from three academic databases. Using the five attributes as an analytical framework, the study examined how these concepts are represented and understood within PE research. Findings show that all five attributes, and most sub-attributes, were evident across the empirical literature. This process clarified the attributes and highlighted some additional details. We present these refinements alongside five key insights that extend theoretical interpretations of embodiment and further detail how EPE can be understood and enacted in practice. Together, these contributions offer additional conceptual clarity and pedagogical guidance for educators seeking to design more embodied and meaningful learning experiences. While engagement with EPE remains a complex and evolving endeavour, the revised attributes and associated pedagogical insights provide a valuable starting point for planning and enacting more embodied approaches in PE.