Border crossing ‘Health in PE’ or ‘PE in Health’? A comparative analysis of Scotland and China

In the twenty-first century, the increasing focus on health as an educational aim has been well documented in curriculum reform. While the importance of physical education (PE) in promoting health has been widely acknowledged across various nations for many years, and despite the apparent affinity between health and PE, integration and enactment have not always been as straightforward as anticipated. Combining health and PE (HPE) often communicates multiple, and sometimes conflicting, messages about what it means to be healthy and how to achieve and maintain health. Given differences in political systems, the cultural context, and curricular expectations, Scotland and China represent two distinctive approaches when analysing these issues and the integration of health and PE. This paper conducts a comparative analysis of HPE in Scotland and China to examine how the discourse of ‘health’ is constructed, articulated, and enacted within curricula, and explores the dynamic interaction between health education policies and sociocultural contexts. Informed by Fairclough, N., & Fairclough, I. (2018). A procedural approach to ethical critique in CDA. Critical Discourse Studies, 15(2), 169–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2018.1427121), this paper highlights the diversity of approaches in the integration of health with PE and creates opportunities for shared learning across educational contexts. The analysis reveals that although both educational systems prioritise health as a central objective, they diverge significantly in their discursive framing and implementation practices. Scotland’s curriculum aligns with an approach of ‘PE in Health’, positioning PE as a vehicle for broader health promotion. In contrast, China’s curriculum reflects a ‘Health in PE’ approach, where health is integrated as a component within the PE domain. These divergent approaches shape the ways in which students engage with and experience education. A comparative understanding of these curriculum frameworks contributes to a more nuanced global perspective on how health is enacted in educational settings and offers valuable insights for enhancing the design and delivery of HPE curricula.