Digital Technology Integration Strategies to Increase Student Engagement Physical Education Learning: Narrative Review

Abstract

In the learning process, physical education demands student involvement that goes beyond the physical realm and includes cognitive as well as affective aspects. Although digital technology is rapidly being adopted in the classroom, current literature does not adequately address how it should be used in physical education at the secondary school level. To synthesize digital technology integration strategies and their relation to the three aspects of student engagement, namely behavioural, cognitive, and affective, this paper presents a narrative review. After searching the Scopus database for publications from 2021 to 2026, 78 papers were found. The papers were selected through a gradual procedure that included examination of titles, abstracts, and full texts, based on pre-established eligibility criteria. In the end, two studies met all the requirements and underwent thematic analysis. The synthesis shows that digital technologies including flipped learning, video, apps, and tracking devices increase engagement not only through their presence, but also through pedagogical functions such as maximizing activity time, facilitating individualization, providing feedback, and encouraging reflection. Although affective engagement is under supported by statistical evidence and cognitive engagement is still in the early stages, behavioural engagement has the strongest evidence. This article highlights the need for further research with robust designs and multidimensional engagement measurement instruments, as well as concludes that teacher roles, digital competence, and the balance between technology use and physical activity time are important factors determining successful integration.