Sustainable development for Physical Education in China: A research proposal

Physical Education is increasingly positioned as a curriculum space through which schools can contribute to Sustainable Development Goals, yet little is known about how sustainability is conceptualised and enacted in Chinese PE. This doctoral study investigates how sustainability and SDG-related ideas are defined, integrated and assessed in school PE in China. It combines a scoping review of Chinese- and English-language literature on PE, sustainability and the SDGs, with semi-structured interviews with physical education teachers in Changsha. The review will map targeted SDGs, key conceptualisations, and reported pedagogical and assessment approaches. Interview data will be thematically analysed to examine teachers’ awareness of Education for Sustainable Development, perceived contributions of PE to sustainability, and contextual constraints shaping practice. The study will provide a consolidated account of sustainability in Chinese PE and generate context-sensitive recommendations for curriculum, assessment and teacher learning.