• Krishn Kumar Sharma
• Dr. Gajendra Singh Chouhan

Physical education (PE) has a lot of potential to help secondary school students become physically literate, healthy, and well-rounded. In many schools, however, PE is still not taught consistently and is often put off in favor of subjects that are thought to be more important for academic success. This review examines the impact of the attitudes of school leaders and teachers, as well as broader systemic factors, on the quality and consistency of physical education programs. The paper conducts a thorough review of key academic databases and significant foundational texts published from 2001 to 2025, focusing on the ongoing challenges that physical education faces in gaining recognition as a legitimate academic discipline. The beliefs and priorities of principals and teachers play a crucial role in shaping various aspects, from the amount of time dedicated to physical education to the resources and teaching methods implemented in the classroom. Challenges such as the disconnect between policy and practice, insufficient resources, and socioeconomic inequalities create significant hurdles for teachers striving to offer students enriching and varied learning experiences. The review highlights the importance of teacher training and continuous professional development, as many educators often feel unprepared or depend on limited, sport-focused lessons. At the same time, students' lives are affected by bigger things like gender roles, worries about their body image, and quickly changing digital cultures. These factors affect not only how engaged students are, but also what teachers expect from them and how they plan their lessons. The evidence shows that improving PE needs more than just changes to the curriculum. It needs coordinated leadership, better teacher training, strict enforcement of policies, and methods that reflect the different situations that today's students face. If this doesn't happen, PE will stay on the sidelines. But with it, schools can make PE more interesting, more inclusive, and more meaningful.

Physical education; secondary education; teacher and principal attitudes; leadership; challenges in implementation; professional development; the gap between policy and practice; sociocultural influences; educational equity.

"RE-ENVISIONING PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF LEADERSHIP, TEACHER ATTITUDES, AND SYSTEMIC BARRIERS", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 1, page no.e274-e283, January-2026, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2601442.pdf

"RE-ENVISIONING PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF LEADERSHIP, TEACHER ATTITUDES, AND SYSTEMIC BARRIERS", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 1, page no. ppe274-e283, January-2026, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2601442.pdf