Development psychology of physical education in 10 years: Systematic review and bibliometric analysis

The purpose of this study is to analyze the development of physical education psychology over the past decade using a bibliometric approach. Physical education plays a role in supporting the overall development of students, including improving physical fitness and acquiring social, emotional, mental, and cognitive competencies. Although many studies have shown the positive impact of physical education interventions on various aspects of student development, the existing literature still lacks integration of all scientific aspects simultaneously—especially regarding the role of psychology in supporting the rehabilitation process for both athletes and non-athletes. This study used systematic literature review methods and bibliometric analysis with data from the Scopus database, considering articles published between 2015 and 2024. Publication and citation trends revealed a total of 825 publications with 18,319 citations during the study period, with a fluctuating yearly distribution. A decrease in citation numbers may indicate a decline in research publications, whereas an increase in citations may reflect a growing research trend, with the United States leading in contributions, followed by Spain and China. This study also highlights the importance of instructional design and teaching strategies in influencing student learning outcomes. Among the reviewed articles, there is a clear direction toward the application of psychological findings in physiotherapy, particularly in the context of movement and learning materials in physical education. The expected outcome is that these findings will provide new insights into the effectiveness of physical education interventions in supporting students' psychological development and encourage further research to strengthen the evidence base for the psychological benefits of physical education.