Teachers' Perspectives on the Acceptability and Feasibility of Wearable Technology to Inform School-Based Physical Activity Practices.

Georgina K Wort,Dylan Thompson,Oliver Peacock,Andy Daly-Smith,Gareth Wiltshire,Simon Sebire

doi:10.3389/fspor.2021.777105

Abstract

Background: Many children are not engaging in sufficient physical activity and there are substantial between-children physical activity inequalities. In addition to their primary role as educators, teachers are often regarded as being well-placed to make vital contributions to inclusive visions of physical activity promotion. With the dramatic increase in popularity of wearable technologies for physical activity promotion in recent years, there is a need to better understand teachers' perspectives about using such devices, and the data they produce, to support physical activity promotion in schools.Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 UK-based primary school teachers, exploring their responses to children's physical activity data and their views about using wearable technologies during the school day. Interview discussions were facilitated by an elicitation technique whereby participants were presented with graphs illustrating children's in-school physical activity obtained from secondary wearable technology data. Interview transcripts were thematically analyzed.Results: Most teachers spoke positively about the use of wearable technologies specifically designed for school use, highlighting potential benefits and considerations. Many teachers were able to understand and critically interpret data showing unequal physical activity patterns both within-and between-schools. Being presented with the data prompted teachers to provide explanations about observable patterns, emotional reactions—particularly about inequalities—and express motivations to change the current situations in schools.Conclusion: These findings suggest that primary school teachers in the UK are open to integrating wearable technology for measuring children's physical activity into their practices and can interpret the data produced by such devices. Visual representations of physical activity elicited strong responses and thus could be used when working with teachers as an effective trigger to inform school practices and policies seeking to address in-school physical inactivity and inequalities.

Highlights

Physical activity is important for children’s physical and mental well-being, cognitive and social development, and for providing strong foundations for future health, (Hansen et al, 2018; Wassenaar et al, 2020) and academic performance (Barbosa et al, 2020; Norris et al, 2020)
One teacher thought that wearable technology data “would definitely make me as a teacher realize, ‘okay so on Mondays we don’t have this activity, let’s make sure we do this.”’ (Teacher 19)
We found that physical activity data from wearable technologies can be used to communicate children’s physical activity to teachers

Summary

Introduction

Physical activity is important for children’s physical and mental well-being, cognitive and social development, and for providing strong foundations for future health, (Hansen et al, 2018; Wassenaar et al, 2020) and academic performance (Barbosa et al, 2020; Norris et al, 2020). Their digital platforms continue to improve, it is becoming increasingly feasible to use these technologies to inform strategies, interventions, and whole school approaches to physical activity promotion. Within this rapidly changing context there is an ongoing need to learn about how wearable technologies could be used in schools, understanding the perspectives of end-users, regarding the potential risks. With the dramatic increase in popularity of wearable technologies for physical activity promotion in recent years, there is a need to better understand teachers’ perspectives about using such devices, and the data they produce, to support physical activity promotion in schools

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