Learning Styles in Physical Education in the Contemporary Period: A Qualitative Thematic Synthesis of Self-Directed Learning, Innovative Pedagogies, and VARK Preferences

Physical education (PE) serves learners whose preferences, abilities, and needs differ, yet teaching in many settings remains teacher-centered, and research on learning styles in PE is scattered across instruments, school levels, and designs. This study addressed the question, “What are the learning styles in physical education in the contemporary period?” Guided by Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and a constructivist view of learning, a qualitative thematic synthesis was conducted of published studies identified in Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and Google Scholar and selected against adapted PICo-based inclusion criteria. Twenty-one unique records involving PE students and teachers at the elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels were analyzed in four steps: significant statements, formulated meanings, clustered themes, and emergent themes. Three emergent themes were generated: (1) self-directed learning, built through command and reciprocal styles, feedback, and observational learning; (2) innovative pedagogies, including flipped, adaptive, technology-enabled, movement-based, and inclusive-cooperative approaches; and (3) VARK-type learning preferences, among which a kinesthetic preference predominated among sport-science students. The findings indicate that contemporary PE is moving, unevenly, from teacher-centered toward student-centered instruction. However, most of the evidence concerns self-reported preferences from cross-sectional studies, learning styles were related to written but not practical performance, and support for matching instruction to a preferred style is weak. VARK-type profiles are therefore best used to prompt varied, multimodal instruction for all learners rather than to sort students. Longitudinal, experimental, and Philippine-based primary studies using standardized measures are recommended.