A case study of student teachers' learning and perceptions when using tablet applications teaching physical education

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Despite developments in information and communications technology (ICT), current research on the use of ICT in physical education (PE) is limited; research has been confined to investigating the use of visual technology, particularly digital cameras. Student teachers (participants) often use each other as learning resources and the purpose of this research was two-fold: first to examine the perceptions of 50 participants when using a range of self-selected 25 tablet applications (tab-apps) when completing micro-teaching (MT) and teaching practice (TP) in the school-based setting: Second to examine what participants learnt from each other during the process and the potential impact of using tab-apps. Third, to determine the potential challenges and future advantages. This qualitative case study considered the participants who were completing their school-based training to be apprentice learners. The author took the lead in guiding participants through the journey of employing tab-apps (computer tab-apps) to teach PE. This study reports, with the author having insider status, on data generated to allow for understanding through rational discourse and critique employing semi-structured questionnaires, MT and TP journals as well as interviews on participants' perceptions when learning and using tab-apps. Data were analysed using social learning theory as the study's theoretic framework. The evolving themes from the study include: student teachers' background and personal experience (individual technological biography), perceived preparation for using ITC in teaching PE. Perceptions related to challenges and advantages are discussed with a view to their implications for using tab-apps in teaching PE. Results showed that prior to, during, and after TP participants as a result of using tab-apps developed a community of learners as they became each other's resource for learning and shared uses of tab-apps in their teaching. Participants were confident about the value of, and were likely to use, tab-apps in their future PE teaching. There was recognition and awareness of several ‘challenges’ which needed addressing if the ‘advantages’ of using tab-apps were to be realised when teaching. Participants suggested that employing tab-apps resulted in advantageous impact as they interacted with each other and they appeared to be receptive towards adopting tab-apps when teaching PE.