Investigating Factors Associated with Physical Education Classes in Mexico During COVID-19

This study analysed the physical education (PE) sessions during the COVID-19 forced confinement from the perspective of teacher participation. Participants in the study included 674 PE teachers from different cities in Mexico, of which 446 (66.2%) are women and 228 (33.8%) are men. With an average age of 40.39 ± 10.3, they taught at the preschool (14.8%), elementary (77%) and high school (8.2%) educational levels. An ad hoc questionnaire called "The Physical Education Session during Confinement by COVID-19" was designed for this study. This instrument was reviewed and corrected by experts in PE teaching and research. The first section of the questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic information, and the second section comprised 22 items encompassing five factors: hygiene recommendations, planning, space and material distances, collaboration and teamwork, and use of technology. PE classes during COVID-19 were conducted 60 to 80 per cent online, and the most frequent means of communication was WhatsApp (65.4%). The questionnaire showed adequate psychometric properties (RMSEA= .05; GFI= .88, CFI= .99, NFI= .97; Chi-square/gl= 3.66). The factors showed no significant differences by gender (p > .05); teachers who were university graduates scored higher on all factors (p < .01) than those from normal schools. Finally, all factors were positively and significantly correlated (p < .01). The study concludes that teaching PE during the COVID-19 contingency involved modifications of the teaching intervention. Understanding how to tailor-fit these interventions to respond to student needs appropriately is of utmost importance in maintaining physical and mental health during a global health crisis.