A qualitative exploration of technology use among preservice physical education teachers in a secondary methods course

Abstract

Educational technologies have been known to positively impact teaching and learning in physical education. This rapid development of new technologies has encouraged physical education teacher education (PETE) programs to prepare preservice physical education teachers (PPETs) with experiences rooted in technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). This study aimed to understand current PPET experiences with technology in a secondary methods course. A total of 14 participants from two PETE programs participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and later analyzed using a grounded theory methodology. Two themes were discovered: (a) PPETs used technology to plan, instruct, and/or assess their secondary physical education classes, and (b) PPETs encountered barriers when using technology. Future research should examine the levels of technology understanding among PPETs.