Between the school and the screen: how digital informal learning shapes Chinese novice physical education teachers' identity

Objectives While digital informal learning has gained increasing attention in teacher development research, limited studies have examined its role in the identity construction of Chinese novice physical education teachers. This study explored how digital informal learning informs identity negotiation processes within the intersecting contexts of “school” and “screen,” providing new empirical and theoretical insights into early professional development in the digital age. Methods This qualitative study employed individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 25 novice physical education teachers in China, supplemented by teacher reflection journals, social media posts, and digital interaction records. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Three interconnected themes were identified: (1) digital informal learning as an orientation space amid role ambiguity, (2) experimenting with teaching practices through digital informal learning, and (3) articulating professional identity through digital community participation. Conclusion Findings indicate that digital informal learning enables novice physical education teachers to interpret practice, develop pedagogical judgment, and situate themselves within broader professional communities, through which professional identity is negotiated across school and digital contexts, while also generating tensions as these contexts operate according to different practical and evaluative logics.