NON-LINEAR PEDAGOGY AND THE ECOLOGICAL-DYNAMIC APPROACH IN SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Introduction: Within the international scholarly discourse, physical education is aimed at developing motor competence, promoting active lifestyles, and fostering body awareness, while supporting well- being, inclusion, and meaningful participation among all students. Within this framework, Nonlinear Pedagogy (NLP), grounded in the principles of ecological dynamics, and the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) emerge as innovative and effective theoretical models for the design of flexible, individualized, and motivating motor learning experiences. NLP promotes an exploratory approach to motor learning, emphasizing the emergence of individualized motor solutions through the dynamic interaction of environmental, task, and individual constraints. CLA, in turn, highlights how the deliberate manipulation of constraints can guide the emergence of adaptive, efficient, and functional motor behaviors, thereby enhancing learners’ ability to solve complex motor problems across different contexts. Objective: This review aims to synthesize the most recent evidence on the integration of NLP and the CLA in physical education instructional design, examining how these strategies promote active student engagement, learner autonomy, the development of fundamental motor skills, and creativity. The main objective is to provide theoretical and practical guidelines for teachers and specialist instructors, supporting the development of inclusive, motivating, and meaningful learning environments capable of addressing the needs of diverse classrooms and promoting safe and conscious engagement in physical activity. Method: Twenty-three peer-reviewed studies published between 2018 and 2025 were analyzed and retrieved from international databases, including PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and MDPI. The considered studies included experimental and quasi-experimental interventions, case studies and theoretical reviews focusing on children and adolescents, with particular emphasis on the application of NLP and CLA supported by the principles of ecological dynamics. Several studies incorporated technological tools and playful–expressive activities, including modified games, motor pathways, and information and communication technology (ICT) tools, with the aim of enhancing motivation, engagement, and motor exploration. Study selection was based on methodological quality, the originality of the proposed interventions, and the relevance of the results for educational and instructional design. Results: The analysis of the reviewed studies indicates that the manipulation of constraints and the adaptation of the motor context facilitate the emergence of multiple functional motor solutions, thereby promoting autonomy, flexibility, creativity, and motor problem-solving skills. The integration of modified games, motor pathways, and cooperative and expressive activities appears to be effective in enhancing students’ intrinsic motivation, emotional regulation, and social skills. The targeted use of ICT technologies seems to facilitate motor exploration, involvement and engagement, by allowing students to experiment with variations of movement in safe and controlled contexts. Teacher training in the application of NLP and CLA emerges as a crucial element, as it supports the design of adaptive, stimulating and effective learning environments that respond to students' individual needs. Conclusions: NLP and CLA provide teachers with theoretical and practical tools to create inclusive, motivating and flexible learning experiences, promoting active lifestyles, well-being, autonomy and motor development. The integration of complexity theory, the deliberate manipulation of constraints, and attention to students’ individual needs allows motor and cognitive skills to be consolidated in a sustainable and long-term manner. Furthermore, the combination of exploratory approaches, interaction with the environment, and the targeted use of ICT technologies places the teacher as a learning designer and facilitator of interactions among students, peers, and the learning environment, thereby strengthening the educational and formative role of Physical Education in both school-based and international contexts.