Blended Curriculum Model in Physical Education: A Bibliometric Analysis

This study carried out a systematic bibliometric analysis of blended learning in physical education from 1996 to 2024. It used the Web of Science Core Collection and the R package bibliometrix. The analysis focused on publication trends, key authors and institutions, keyword patterns, and global collaboration networks. From 1996 to 2024, the number of publications increased steadily. The average annual growth rate was 12.9%. The United States had the highest total citation share (24.8%), followed by Spain (23.0%) and China (8.8%).The results showed large differences in citation impact and international collaboration among countries and institutions. Over time, research moved away from traditional instruction. It shifted toward personalized learning and technology-based teaching. Keywords like “motivation” and “gamification” appeared more often in recent studies. The evidence from the reviewed studies suggested that blended learning helped improve students’ self-regulation. It also supported their physical health outcomes. These findings mapped the development of the field. They also offered theory-based support for reforming university physical education curricula.