A Social Network Analysis of Global Scholarship on Physical Education Content Knowledge

We use a co-authorship network analysis to describe and examine the social network of researchers studying physical education content knowledge worldwide. Co-authorship network analysis is a method for determining the scope, trend, and focus of research around a topic. It provides a way to evaluate both the growth of a field and to examine the extent of research collaboration. Our review consists of 101 articles that were examined in our network analysis. Our results show that the research on content knowledge occurs within and among 13 high-income economies. Research productivity in this area is on an upward trajectory since 1990. The research in physical education occurs in a distributed network with some authors serving as key hubs for research collaboration. From a global perspective, there is a need to create links to low-income economies to strengthen their research capacity.

Automated summary

Using co-authorship network analysis, we investigated the social network of researchers studying physical education content knowledge globally. This method helped us examine the growth and collaboration in this field. Our analysis of 101 articles revealed that research on content knowledge is conducted within and across 13 high-income economies. The research productivity has been increasing since 1990, and key hubs of research collaboration have been identified. From a global perspective, it is important to establish connections with low-income economies to strengthen their research capacity.