Purpose Researching on lesson studies in initial training of physical education (PE) teachers in Portugal, our group is especially interested in the potential of this methodology for developing the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of future PE teachers. The purpose of the present text is to synthesize the knowledge relating to this subject. Design/methodology/approach Exploratory searches in four multiple search databases were carried out, resulting in 51 records. Information about authors, year of publication, purposes, methodology and results was collected and analyzed. Findings Results highlight the diversity of purposes. The interview is recurrent in the qualitative studies, while the questionnaire is used in all the large quantitative studies. Regarding the findings, it appears the centrality of PCK, its development potential and its measurability, the consistency of the concept and its evolutionary dynamics, as well as the constructive criticism of initial teacher training models and practices. Originality/value To emphasize the relationship between lesson studies and the development of PCK in initial teacher training of PE teachers.