The Emergence of Technology in Physical Education: A General Bibliometric Analysis with a Focus on Virtual and Augmented Reality

Ferran Calabuig-Moreno,Marta García-Tascón,Javier Fombona,María Huertas González-Serrano

doi:10.3390/su12072728

Abstract

Technology has been gradually introduced into our society, and the field of education is no exception due to technology’s ability to improve the teaching–learning process. Furthermore, within the area of physical education (PE), its importance has been highlighted by the existence of specific apps for physical activity that can be used inside and outside the classroom to assess physical condition, as well as through the potential that virtual and augmented reality can have in such assessment. Therefore, the main objectives for this study were (1) to perform a bibliometric analysis of the articles published in the Web of Science (WoS) on technology in PE and (2) to analyze the articles published on augmented or virtual reality in PE found through this search. The results show that although studies on technology in PE (461 articles) have begun to consolidate over the last five years (there was a turning point in 2015), with the USA being the most influential country in this area, specific research on the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) is still at a very early stage (22 articles with a small growth in 2017), with Spain being the most influential country; much more research is needed to achieve its consolidation.

Highlights

The growing use of technology in society has been the driving force behind the digitization of education, as education policymakers and society in general believe that technology can improve education [1]
RThesisulstesction gives the results obtained from the generic bibliometric search first, andThthisesnecptrioensegnitvsetshtehererseusultlstsoofbthtaeinsepdecfrifiomc stehaercghenweirtihc ibnibtlhioismgeetnriecrsaelasrecahrcfihrs(tA(tRecahnndolVogRieisniPnE)
Among the main barriers and difficulties that exist for physical education (PE) teachers toward integrating technology in the PE classroom, there is a lack of confidence of teachers regarding using more information and communication technology (ICT) in the classroom [53] due to their low expectations of the improvement of the integration of technologies in the subject [54]

Summary

Introduction

The growing use of technology in society has been the driving force behind the digitization of education, as education policymakers and society in general believe that technology can improve education [1]. This is why education systems around the world are incorporating digital skills into their curricula and assessments [2,3], and are encouraging teachers to include technologies in the classroom, either as a tool to facilitate learning or as a means for formative assessment [4]. While there has been an increase in support and research on the integration of technology and training into general teacher education, there are not enough research and programming efforts related to the integration of technology into specific disciplines, such as PE [7,8], and the opportunities for digital technologies to shape PE in new and positive ways should be explored [6]

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Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion