Dr.Sc.Psych., Associate Professor E.A. Shmeleva^{1, 2}
Dr.Sc.Psych., Associate Professor P.A. Kislyakov¹
PhD N.P. Konstantinova¹
PhD V.V. Pchelinova^1
1Russian State Social University, Moscow
²Ivanovo State University, Shuya

Corresponding author: noc_shmeleva@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to analyze, based on questionnaire survey data, popularity and benefits of the most popular physical education digital technologies applicable for students’ physical activation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods and structure of the study. For the physical education digital technologies study purposes, we run the questionnaire survey and processed and analyzed the questionnaire survey data using mathematical SPSS Statistics 22 software toolkit. We sampled physical education teachers (n=72) including university physical education teachers (25.0%); children and youth sport school coaches (23.6%); school physical education teachers (19.4%); physical education instructors (18.1%); college physical education teachers (8.3%); and personal trainers (5.6%).

Results and conclusion. The most popular physical education digital technologies for physically active and sporting lifestyles were ranked as follows: video lessons/ training models available on Youtube, etc. (16.7%); physical education guides for self-training in the social networks (15.6%); real-time online classes using Zoom and Skype (15.6%); theoretical physical education support via Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram and other messengers (14.0%); mobile physical education tools (13.4%); and emailed practical physical education guidelines (9.7%). Less popular were the following physical education platforms: Russian electronic school, Uchi.ru, YaKlass, Google Classroom, Moodle, etc. (8.1%); and the university/ school/ college physical education websites (7.0%).

The questionnaire survey found most of the physical education teacher sample largely unfit for the modern digital-technologies-driven physical education service. Since the survey was run in the fall of 2020 after the first wave of the pandemic in Russia, it is unlikely that the physical education teacher sample was able to bridge the gaps in their digital-technologies-driven physical education service fitness by the time of the second wave. We recommend special digital technologies training service for the physical education teachers to make them fit for the modern digital-technologies-driven physical education service.

Keywords: physical activity, physical inactivity, physical education teacher, COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation, distance learning, digital technologies, questionnaire survey, social networks, mobile applications.

Background. In responses to the pandemic-triggered global economic and social crises, national governments and health agencies give a special priority to the mental/ emotional and physical health of people on the whole and students in particular as the social group highly exposed to risks of physical inactivity in the self-isolation environments [2, 5]. Thus the WHO recommends at least 150-min of moderate or 75-min of intense physical activity per week to counter the health risks of physical inactivity [1]. Physical practices and healthy physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic is ranked among the key mental and social health protection methods [4, 7]. The global physical education community has made resort to online physical education technologies to continue the physical education service during the school lockdown periods [3]. Modern digital technologies offer immersive training environments with virtual/ augmented realities that help at least improve the functions of the immune and cardiovascular systems [6].

Objective of the study was to analyze, based on questionnaire survey data, popularity and benefits of the most popular physical education digital technologies applicable for students’ physical activation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods and structure of the study. For the physical education digital technologies study purposes, we run the questionnaire survey and processed and analyzed the questionnaire survey data using mathematical SPSS Statistics 22 software toolkit. We sampled physical education teachers (n=72) including university physical education teachers (25.0%); children and youth sport school coaches (23.6%); school physical education teachers (19.4%); physical education instructors (18.1%); college physical education teachers (8.3%); and personal trainers (5.6%).

Results and discussion. The most popular physical education digital technologies for physically active and sporting lifestyles were ranked as follows: video lessons/ training models available on Youtube, etc. (16.7%); physical education guides for self-training in the social networks (15.6%); real-time online classes using Zoom and Skype (15.6%); theoretical physical education support via Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram and other messengers (14.0%); mobile physical education tools (13.4%); and emailed practical physical education guidelines (9.7%). Less popular were the following physical education platforms: Russian electronic school, Uchi.ru, YaKlass, Google Classroom, Moodle, etc. (8.1%); and the university/ school/ college physical education websites (7.0%).

The school/ college physical education teachers were found to favor in the above toolkit the email for self-learning physical education purposes, whilst the university physical education teachers favor the social networks; sport club/ sport school coaches (around 33% of the group) give preference to Zoom and Skype tools – in contrast to the school physical education teacher group where only 5% reported using the latter. 14.8% of the sport club coaches and 16.3% of the university physical education teachers reported using mobile equipment for the service. And the Youtube video classes/ trainings were most popular among the school physical education teachers and coaches. On the whole, the university physical education teachers were ranked the most active users of the physical education digital technologies.

Therefore, the school physical education teachers favor Youtube video classes/ trainings (23.1%); physical education instructors prefer Zoom/ Skype physical education digital technologies (18.5%), links to video lessons / training on Youtube and others (18.5%); Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram and other messengers for the physical education theory (18.5%). Most of the sports school coaches and university physical education teachers report preference for the Zoom/ Skype tools (29.5%); and the college physical education teachers favor e-mail and Youtube for the physical education service. The university physical education teachers reported downloading physical education instructions in the social networks (18.4%) and on the university websites (16.3%), plus using the mobile communication tools (16.3%).

As far as the physical education digital technologies hardware, most popular in the physical education and sports teaching community are the computers with cameras and microphones and mobile applications – reported by 40.4% of the sample. Only 13.2% of the sample report using fitness bracelets for distance learning; whilst 6.1% report avoiding use of any digital hardware. The computers/ tablets with cameras and microphones were found most popular among the school (52.2%) and college physical education teachers (45.5%), followed by at least 33% in every other physical education teacher group. Mobile applications were most popular among the club coaches and university physical education teachers (44.4% and 44.1%, respectively). It appears increasingly common for the sporting student groups to use digital devices in the self-reliant trainings, although above 33% of the school/ college physical education teachers also report using special training mobile applications; although some digital systems (e.g. fitness bracelets) are still not much popular among the physical education digital technologies. Of special interest is the fact that about third of the physical education instructors are still reluctant to use digital technologies, mobile applications and internet physical education applications.

In their own physical fitness maintenance practices, the physical education teachers report favoring smart-phones with training mobile applications including training schedules and progress/ health tests, plus fitness bracelets. A correlation analysis found the mobile-applications-preferring physical education teachers widely using them for their distance physical education service (r= 0.243, p <0.01); and taking benefit of their own practical experience in using the physical education digital technologies to manage the trainees’ self-trainings: see Figure 1.

Figure 1. What problems have you faced in your physical education practice during the Covid-19 pandemic? (%)

Every physical education teacher in the sample ranked the need for efficient distance physical education progress tests the highest: see Figure. It may be beneficial to address the problem by the self-test skills and tools need to be mastered by the trainees – all the more that the modern physical education digital technologies often include such physical education progress/ physical activity test toolkits. Highly problematic for the sample was also the need for practical provisions for the physical education classes/ trainings reported by 78.6% of the school physical education teachers, half of the physical education instructors and 40% of the coaches and college physical education teachers. And 35.7% of the school physical education teachers ranked on top the shortage of digital equipment as barriers for their distance physical education practice.

Conclusion. The questionnaire survey found most of the physical education teacher sample largely unfit for the modern digital-technologies-based physical education practice. Since the survey was run in the fall of 2020 after the first wave of the pandemic in Russia, it is unlikely that the physical education teacher sample was able to bridge the gaps in their digital-technologies-based physical education practice fitness by the time of the second wave. We recommend special digital technologies training service for the physical education teachers to make them fit for the modern digital-technologies-based physical education practice.

The study was completed under Research Contract № 0373100110420000008 for “Modern physical activity methods and models development to lure people in the age- and gender-specific habitual physical education and sports practices” by the All-Russian Physical Education Research Institute.

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