Perceptions of physical education implementation in Namibia within African and global contexts: A scoping review

Abstract

Physical Education (PE) is widely recognised as a fundamental component of holistic education and a human right embedded in international and national policy frameworks. Despite strong policy commitments at global, regional, and national levels, the implementation of PE continues to face systemic and perceptual challenges. In this paper, the researchers present a scoping review of the stakeholder perceptions on the implementation of PE in Namibia within the broad African and global contexts. Guided by Arksey and O'Malley’s six-stage framework, this scoping review utilised leading international and regional journals indexed in reputable academic databases, including Google Scholar, EBSCO, SABINET, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science. The review indicated a consistent pattern: although teachers, learners, and policymakers recognise the educational, health, and social value of PE, its implementation remains constrained by a shortage of qualified personnel, limited resources, weak monitoring mechanisms, and its low academic status. Despite global efforts such as UNESCO’s Quality Physical Education framework, gaps persist in empirical evidence on policy enactment and stakeholder alignment. Thus, the study recommends that stakeholders such as teachers should be provided with sufficient training and clear guidelines on the implementation of PE. The study further recommends that the coordination and implementation of PE policies and activities should be informed by best practices being implemented in Africa and elsewhere in the world.