My teaching in physical education is successful without integrating any technology.“ – Integrating technology in physical education from physical education teachers’ view

My teaching in physical education is successful without integrating any technology.“ – Integrating technology in physical education from physical education teachers’ view

ABSTRACT

Physical education as a subject, constitutively dealing with human movement and physical activity, seems to disregard a direct association with digital media at all (Kretschmann, 2010). Moreover, the natural skeptical habitus of the educational profession is so to speak concerned by media presence of “fat, lazy, and stupid” children and adolescents. Exactly these skeptical physical education teachers and their views about digital media in physical education are in the main focus of this study. What media are used at all? What are the conditions (resources) in schools? Do physical education teachers consider media use in physical education sensible at all? There are hardly empirical findings to retrieve in this area.

In an exploratory approach 114 physical education teachers (M (age) = 46.4 + 10.5) in selected secondary schools in Stuttgart (Germany) were surveyed using a questionnaire for the use of digital media in physical education. The questionnaire contained items for media equipment, media literacy, learning outcome, motivation, gender aspects, and comparison of analog and digital media. In summary, based on the empirical findings, said resistance and skepticism about digital media in physical education among physical education teachers can rather be approved than dispelled. Exemplarily, most physical education teachers stated by overwhelming majority that their teaching in physical education was successful even without integrating digital media at all.

INTRODUCTION

Digital information and communication technology have not only become part of everyday life, leisure, and work by now, but have also become an integral part of the discussion culture of teaching practice in school (Issing and Klimsa, 2002; Martial and Ladenthin, 2005). However, reality still differs and an actual area-wide use of digital media can’t be seen as established yet. Teachers’ “resistance” to media use is to be considered quite high, especially for physical education teachers (Biermann, 2009). Physical education as a subject, constitutively dealing with human movement and physical activity, seems to disregard a direct association with digital media at all (Kretschmann, 2010). Moreover, the natural skeptical habitus of the educational profession is so to speak concerned by media presence of “fat, lazy, and stupid” children and adolescents.

AREA OF STUDY

Exactly these skeptical physical education teachers and their views about digital media in physical education are in the main focus of this study. What media are used at all? What are the conditions (resources) in schools? Do physical education teachers consider media use in physical education sensible at all? There are hardly empirical findings to retrieve in this area (Kretschmann, 2010).

METHODOLOGY

In an exploratory approach 114 physical education teachers (M (age) = 46.4 + 10.5) in selected secondary schools in Stuttgart (Germany) were surveyed using a questionnaire for the use of digital media in physical education. The questionnaire contained items for media equipment, media literacy, learning outcome, study motivation, stress, didactics, gender aspects, and comparison of analog and digital media.

RESULTS

In the following, only results from the areas of study motivation, stress, didactical surplus, and resistance were illustrated exemplarily, due to the variety and complexity of the data that has not yet been analyzed in-depth.

Study motivation

Most physical educaion teachers are undecided whether student‘s study motivation can be increased by using digital media (Table 1). Unmotivated students remain without motivation and willingness, no matter which media and methods would be used. Motivated students are committed anyhow, regardless of media and methods.

Table 1. Study motivation (n = 114; 5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree)

Table 1. My teaching in physical education is successful without integrating any technology.“ – Integrating technology in physical education from physical education teachers’ view

Contenido disponible en el CD Colección Congresos nº 16

Stress

Educational scenarios integrating laptops in the gym, which focus on self-reliant learning at learning stations, are rather not rated as relieving by physical education teachers (Table 2). Support and organization effort seem to be interpreted as extra effort and expense by physical education teachers. The unfamiliar role of an adviser might assist this rating.

Table 2. Stress (n = 114; 5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree)

Table 2. My teaching in physical education is successful without integrating any technology.“ – Integrating technology in physical education from physical education teachers’ view

Contenido disponible en el CD Colección Congresos nº 16

Didactical Surplus

Classic media as blackboard and images have a better reputation from physical education teachers than digital media (Table 3). Digital media do not have an obvious surplus value in terms of didactics from the physical education teachers’ view. Compared to classic media, digital media even has a lower status.

Table 3. Didactical Surplus (n = 114; 5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree)

Table 3. My teaching in physical education is successful without integrating any technology.“ – Integrating technology in physical education from physical education teachers’ view

Contenido disponible en el CD Colección Congresos nº 16

Resistance

According to physical education teachers, successful physical education does not need integrating digital media (Table 4). Physical education teachers are rather sceptical towards digital media. The physical education teachers’ stable educational concept, which essentially does not need digital media, seems to be resistant and rather aversive towards integrating digital media.

Table 4. Resistance (n = 114; 5 = strongly agree, 1 = strongly disagree)

Table 4. My teaching in physical education is successful without integrating any technology.“ – Integrating technology in physical education from physical education teachers’ view

Contenido disponible en el CD Colección Congresos nº 16

DISCUSSION

A connection between contemporary and innovative physical education teaching for the purpose of development and quality of teaching by means of integrating digital media is (unfortunately) not established (yet?).

CONCLUSION

A comprehensive curricular integration of theory and practice of digital media in physical education into physical education teacher education and further education could be an important contribution to long-term quality assurance and education in this didactic area (Mitchell and McKethan, 2003). The gap and dichotomy between digital media and “exhausting” human movement, sports, and physical activity seem to (re-)build as two opposite poles from the view of physical education teachers, even though there are some best practice examples for a sensible integration of technology in physical education (Castelli and Fiorentino, 2008; Mitchell et al., 2004; Mohnsen, 2008).