Research Trends, Citation Structures, and Knowledge Networks in Physical Education and Sport Instructional Models: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

This study examines the scientific trends and structural development of research on physical education and sport instructional models through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. A total of 1,184 articles published between 1992 and March 2026 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection using the search term “physical education and sport instructional models” applied to the Topic (TS) field and Analysed using the Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny packages in RStudio. Productivity indicators at the levels of authors, countries, journals, and keywords were examined, while citation structures, publication trends, collaboration networks, and conceptual relationships were Analysed to provide an integrated overview of the field’s intellectual and thematic organization. The findings indicate that research output remained limited between 1992 and 2011 but has increased significantly since 2012. Scientific production is concentrated in core journals such as the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education and Retos: Nuevas Tendencias en Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación, while China, Spain, and the United States lead in country-based productivity. P. A. Hastie is identified as the most influential author in terms of total citations, while A. Valero-Valenzuela, P. A. Hastie, and A. MacPhail are among the leading contributors in publication output. Keyword analysis reveals that the field is primarily structured around physical education, sport teaching, student-centered approaches, model-based instruction, and motivation. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the field has expanded globally and evolved into a more structured and interconnected research landscape, providing a systematic foundation for understanding its intellectual structure and guiding future research.