Iranian Journal of Curriculum Studies

Iranian Journal of Curriculum Studies

A comparative study of physical education curriculum for elementary school students in selected countries

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Department of Sport Management, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to conduct a comparative study of physical activity and sports programs in selected countries based on the physical biosphere as a fundamental transformation document for elementary school students. This is a descriptive study conducted in a comparative manner and is placed in the interpretive paradigm. The Brady model (1994) as well as the comparative content analysis of Hsieh and Shannon (2005) were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the countries studied have comprehensive physical education programs in elementary schools that include motor skills training, extracurricular sports programs, and continuous health assessments of students. Finland and Japan emphasize integrating physical activity into the curriculum and developing sustainable movement habits in students, while the United States and Canada have presented diverse models for developing school sports and community participation in sports activities. France and Australia have also adopted a comprehensive approach to health education alongside sport. In contrast, countries such as Türkiye and Egypt are still developing and improving their school sports policies. To improve its physical education curriculum, Iran can benefit from the successful experiences of advanced countries while addressing its structural and resource problems in this area.
Keywords

Subjects


Abu-Ali, M. Z., Asaad, B., & Abu-Qataam, M. (2016). Educational system in Egypt and Jordan: A comparative study. International Interdisciplinary Journal of Education, 5(6), 1-9.
Alaei, R., Shahabadi, M., & Ghasimpour Moghadam, H. (2024). The effect of physical education lesson and its integration in facilitating the learning of elementary lessons. Iranian Journal of Curriculum Studies, 19(72), 251-266. [in Persian]
Alipour, F., Hejazi, A., & Ramazani Khanvani, M. (2025). A comparative study of extracurricular activities in education systems of Iran, Finland and Malaysia. Iranian Journal of Comparative Education, 8(1), 3358-3381. [in Persian]
Azimi, E., & Mehrmohammadi, M. (2021). A comparative study of the language learning curriculum in elementary schools of Iran and Finland. Iranian Journal of Curriculum Studies, 16(62), 37-46. [in Persian]
Blenker, P., Dreisler, P., Færgemann, H. M., & Kjeldsen, J. (2019). A framework for developing entrepreneurship education in a university context. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 5(1), 45-63.
Christiansen, L.B., Ekberg, J-E., Soini, A., Larsen, R., Kristjánsdóttir, G., Froberg, K. (2024) A comparative analysis of movement and physical activity in early childhood teacher education policy in five Nordic countries. Frontiers Sports Active Living, 6, 135-147.
Ding, F. (2019). A comparative study on the current situation of physical education curriculum reform in preliminary schools in China and South Korea. Advances in Social Sciences, Education and research, 3(41), 810-820. 
Ershadi, T., Safania, A., Frahani, A. & Nikbakhsh, R. (2022). The attention of the National Curriculum Document of the Islamic Republic of Iran to assessment in physical education. Quarterly of Educational Measurement, 13(50), 33-54. [in Persian]
Eskandari, A., Abbaszsde Sohroon, Y., & Yarmohamadzade, P. (2024). Examining and explaining the implementation barriers of the fundamental transformation document in the education system. Journal of Study and Innovation in Education and Development, 4(2), 145-161. [in Persian]
Ghahraman Tabrizi, K., Sharifian, E., & Jahanshahi, M. (2018). Comparative study of physical education curriculum in the educational system of schools in Iran, Turkey and Kosovo. Second National Conference on Achievements of Sports Sciences and Health, Ahvaz, Iran. [in Persian]
Ghajari, N., Mazidi, M., & Shamshiri, B. (2020). Understanding the Most Significant Challenges to Execution of the Document of Fundamental Transformation in the Education System of Iran; a Focus on Its Main Subsystems. Journal of Curriculum Research, 10(1), 1-33. [in Persian]
Ghanbari, H., Shetabbushehri, N., Shafiniya, P. & Mehralizadeh, Y. (2019). Pathology of Physical Education and School Sports by Applying Three-Dimensional Model. Research on Educational Sport, 6(15), 139-160. [in Persian]
Hajibabaei, H., Mirazimi, H., & Masouri, E. (2023). Areas and educational requirements of the Education Transformation Document of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Educational and Scholastic studies, 12(3), 37-63. [in Persian]
Hajirostamloo, H., Amirtash, A. and Safania, A. (2016). The Effect of Traditional &Integration Method of Teaching Physical Education on Learning Math & Fundamental Skills of Second grade of Elementary Students. Journal of Pouyesh in Education and Consultation, 1395(5), 2-13. [in Persian]
Hashemi, S. H., Khatibi, A., Hojabrnia, Z., & Alam, S. (2021). A comparative study of physical education curriculum in Iranian high schools with selected countries (USA, Germany, Australia, Japan). Journal for Educators, Teachers and Trainers, 12(3), 10 – 20. [in Persian]
Hergüner, G., Önal. A., Berisha, M., & Yaman, M. S. (2016). The comparison of physical education and sports lessons applied in education systems of Turkey and Kosovo. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 4(9), 1985-1993.
Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative health research, 15(9), 1277-1288.
Hudson, C., Lindsay, R., Goncalves, L., McNeil, E., & Ambrosy, J. (2025). Physical education in rural schools: A scoping review. European Physical Education Review, 31(4), 1-17.
Jamshidi Eini, S., Razavi,S. M. H., & Doosti, M. (2021). A comparative study of school sports in Finland, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and Iran. Research on Educational Sport, 9(24), 43-76. [in Persian]
Javadipor, M., Aliasgari, M., Kiamanesh, A., & Khabiri, M. (2007). Perspectives, approaches, and models for designing elementary physical education curriculum. The Journal of New Thoughts on Education, 23(3), 119-135. [in Persian]
Liu, X. (2023) A comparative study of primary school physical education in China and the United States in an international perspective. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 7(7), 1325-1329.
Maliji, M., Aliasgari, M., Aghaei, N., & Javadipour, M. (2018). Comparative Study of Preschool Curriculum in Iran and Several Selected Countries in Terms of Physical Education. Research on Educational Sport, 6(14), 277-300. [in Persian]
Ma’mun, A., Tinaz, C., Anira, A., Syarifatunnisa, S., Hertem, Ö.O., Mahendra, A. &, Juliantine T. (2025) Physical education and school sport in emerging nations: a comparison of Indonesia and Türkiye. Frontiers in Sports Active Living, 7, 1582778.
Marsigliante, S., My, G., Mazzotta, G., & Muscella, A. (2024). The effects of exergames on physical fitness, body composition and enjoyment in children: A six-month intervention study. Children, 11(10), 1172-1180.
Mehrpour, A., Honari, H., & kargar, G. A. (2022). A Comparative Study of the Approaches to Selecting and Recruitment of Physical Education and Sports Teachers in Iran with Those in the USA, England, Japan and Malaysia. Research on Educational Sport, 10(27), 17-50. [in Persian]
Mihaela, I. T., Jjulian A. D. (2015). Differences and similarities in curriculum and assessment in physical education in eastern Europe states. Science, Movement and Health, XV (1), 40-46.  
Mottaqi Shahri, M. H., Ghafouri, F., Honari, H., & Shahlaei, J. (2019). Designing a mental health model for athletes participating in educational sports. Research in Educational Sports, 7(16), 17-38. [in Persian]
Mozaffari, S. A. A., Sabaghiyanrad, L. & Hatami, H. (2014). Comparative study about effectiveness of two different teaching methods of traditional and integrated of physical education on learning biology and development of social skills of male junior high students. Journal of Sports and Motor Development and Learning, 6(2), 217-230. [in Persian]
Naderi, S., Bahrami, S. & Esmaeeli, M. (2020). Presentation the model of strategies for improving the effectiveness of sports teaching methods in primary schools in Iran with a grounded theory approach. Research on Educational Sport, 8(20), 159-178. [in Persian]
Nugraheni, K., & Isawa, S. (2025). A small-scale comparative study inclusive elementary school in Japan and Indonesia. Journal of ICSAR, 9(1). 34-41.
Pelemiš, V., Pavlović, S., Mitrović, N., Nikolić, I., Stević, D., & Trajković, N. (2024). Physical activity levels during physical education classes and their impact on physical fitness in 10-year-old school children: A comparative Study. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 9(4), 220-232.
Rohie, A., Yektayar, M., & Khodamoradpoor, M. (2022). Foresight of the content required for the physical education curriculum in the elementary course with the method of structural analysis. Research on Educational Sport, 10(28), 87-112. [in Persian]
Roure, C., Lentillon-Kaestner, V., Méard, J., & Pasco, D. (2019). Universality and uniqueness of students' situational interest in physical education: A comparative study. Psychological Belgica, 59(1),1-15.
Samahati, G., Javadipour, M., Rezaee, A. A., & Hatami, H. (2025). Validation of physical education curriculum model based on blended learning for elementary school. Sport Management Journal, 17(2), 210-190.
Scarino, A. (2019). The Australian Curriculum and its conceptual bases: a critical analysis. Curriculum Perspectives, 39(8).
Sheppard-Law, S., Curtis, S., Bancroft, J., Smith, W., & Fernandez, R. (2018). Novice clinical nurse educator’s experience of a self-directed learning, education and mentoring program: a qualitative study. Contemporary Nurse, 54 (2), 208-219.
Soltanimoghadam, N., Seghatoleslami, A., & Mirkazemi, A. (2020). The study of methods and teaching status of physical education lesson in elementary schools in south khorasan province. Journal of Sport Management and Motor Behavior, 16(31), 168-153. [in Persian]
Talebi, N., Samadi, A., & Mohammadpour, B. (2020). Surveying the effectiveness of selected of the sixth grade's health and physical education program according to Bloom's Learning domains in male students. Teaching and Learning Research, 14(2), 27-37. [in Persian]
Yuan, H. B., Williams, B. A., Fang, J. B., & Pang, D. (2020). Chinese baccalaureate nursing students' readiness for self-directed learning. Nurse Education Today, 32 (4), 427-431.
Zare-ee, A., Ghorbanpoor, H., & Bagheri, S. (2021). Attention to educational domains in textbooks on Persian language for Iranian elementary schools: periods before and after the implementation of the document on fundamental reform in education. Iranian Journal of Curriculum Studies, 16(62), 179-196.
Zolghadri, P., kian, M., liasgari, M., & Elahi, A. (2019). Pathology of the implementation of physical education and health curriculum in first level secondary school, based on Aker Model. Research on Educational Sport, 7(17), 229-252. [in Persian]

  • Receive Date 07 August 2025
  • Revise Date 17 December 2025
  • Accept Date 04 January 2026