Current Technology Trends and Issues Among Health and Physical Education Professionals

Health and physical education professionals who implement technology appropriately can contribute to helping students become physically educated individuals (NASPE, 2009). It is imperative that professionals be knowledgeable and resourceful in how to integrate technology effectively, but it is unclear what current challenges professionals face in this regard. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the current trends and issues surrounding technology among health and physical education professionals, as discussed in a professional online forum. This mixed-methods study involved the collection and analysis of technology-related discussion posts from the first year of the SHAPE America Exchange online forum. Researchers collected 110 discussion threads from 241 SHAPE America members about technology topics ranging from pedometers to social media in an attempt to investigate the nature of the discussions and to determine the demographics of the participants. Discussion posts were examined within and across specific technologies, and major themes were established. Quantitative data analysis included descriptive statistics of participant demographics and types of technologies discussed. Results revealed the most commonly discussed technology topics were activity monitors, mobile devices, and social media. Major themes included networking and sharing resources, implementing technology for teaching, technology selection, data collection and management solutions, and logistics issues. Results of this study indicate that professionals are aware of and interested in implementing a variety of technologies into their teaching; however, they are still unsure about selection, management, and implementation. The online forum provided a resource to address these issues.