Physical Education in the Primary School Movement and Development from 6 to 12 Years

Part I: Introduction 

1. What is Physical Education?

Luis García-González, Diego Esteban-Torres, Javier García-Cazorla, and Sergio Diloy-Peña

Part II: Movement and Development

2. Developing Motor Competence through Physical Education

Zarmina Amin, Yabing Zhou, Nan Zeng, and Zan Gao

3. Developing Physical Fitness

Sara Pereira, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, Carla Santos, Eduardo Guimarães, Fernando Garbeloto, Olga Vasconcelos, and José Maia

4. Physical Literacy in Primary Education: From Foundations to Lifelong Participation

Jorge Carlos-Vivas, Raquel Pastor-Cisneros, and María Mendoza-Muñoz

5. Developing Cognitive Competence through Physical Education

Patricia Teea Gligan Gligan, and Sixto González-Víllora

6. Developing Social Competence through Physical Education

Juan Amador García Navarro, Adriana Nielsen Rodríguez, Ramón Romance, and Juan Carlos Dobado Castañeda

7. Developing Emotional Competence through Physical Education

Izaskun Luis de Cos and Saioa Urrutia Gutierrez

8. Preventing Bullying in Physical Education

Luca Paolo Ardigò, Åke Elden, and Ursula Småland Goth

9. Physical Education in Nature

Jorge Olivares-Arancibia, Diana Constanza Farfán Melo, and Boryi A. Becerra-Patiño

10. Model-based Practice and Active Breaks in Primary Physical Education

Silvia Arribas-Galarraga and Miren Garin-Atorrasagasti

11. Practical Aspects for Preparing Effective Lessons in Primary Physical Education

Ángel Abós, Carlos Mayo-Rota, Zilia Villafaña-Samper, and Javier García-Cazorla

Part III: Physical Education and Care

12. Physical Activity Guidelines

Bruno da Costa, Roseane de Fátima Guimarães, and Antonio Stabelini Neto

13. Food and Nutrition Education in Primary Schools

Lee Wharton, Michelle-Anne Bradford, Helen Vidgen, and Danielle Gallegos

14. Mental Health and Physical Education

David Díaz-Tejerina, Noelia Belando-Pedreño, Pablo Uría-Valle, and Javier Fernández-Río

Part IV: Special Educational Needs

15. Inclusive Physical Education for Children with Special Educational Needs

Lidia Scifo, Giovanni Fulantelli, Lara Montero de Espinosa Ramos, and Amparo Jiménez Vivas

16. Designing Inclusive Playgrounds for Schoolchildren in Physical Education

Carlos D. Gómez-Carmona and Ana P. Ramírez-Arroyo

Part V: Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals

17. Physical Education and Sustainability in Primary Education: A Pedagogical Framework for Childhood

Salvador Baena-Morales and Olalla García-Taibo

Part VI: Technology and Artificial Intelligence

18. Physical Activity Monitoring in Physical Education

Carlos D. Gómez-Carmona and Daniel González-Devesa

19. Artificial Intelligence in Physical Education

Paula Tallón Fuentes, Zabit Hameed, Javier Vicente Sáez, and Amaia Méndez Zorrilla

Biography

Markel Rico-González is Assistant Professor in the Department of Didactics of Musical, Plastic and Corporal Expression at the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), Spain. He is the author of more than 100 scientific articles in journals and more than 25 book chapters. He is also the co-editor of the book The Use of Applied Technology in Team Sport (Routledge, 2021) and editor of the book Physical Education in Early Childhood: Movement and Development from 3 to 6 Years (Routledge, 2025). 

Nagore Martinez-Merino is Lecturer in the Department of Didactics of Musical, Plastic and Corporal Expression at the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), Spain. She is a member of the GIKAFIT research group (Gizartea-Gizartea, Kirola eta Ariketa Fisikoa Ikerkuntza Taldea/ Research Group on Society, Sport and Physical Activity) and the research network ‘LGBTI, physical education and sport’. Her interests as a researcher fluctuate between qualitative research, transformative education, school sport, gender perspective, inclusion and experiences of physical activity in vulnerable populations.