Pupils’ Lived Experiences of Health and Wellbeing in Physical Education and School Sport: A Phenomenological Systematic Review

PESS are frequently positioned as key contributors to young people’s health and HWB (HWB). However, less attention has been given to how HWB is lived by pupils within these settings, particularly amid longstanding critiques of instrumental health agendas in PE. This systematic review synthesized phenomenological research exploring pupils’ lived experiences of PESS, with specific attention to holistic dimensions of HWB. Following PRISMA-informed procedures and a pre-registered PROSPERO protocol, 17 studies were examined through a hermeneutically informed synthesis. Across the 17 included studies, HWB was described as an embodied, relational, and meaning-laden phenomenon constituted through experiences of competence, recognition, belonging, and pedagogical mediation. Variations in the commitments to phenomenological principles across studies were also examined. This review contributes to understanding how HWB is constituted within PESS settings, offering insights to the design and delivery of health-promoting educational practices.