Integrating Technology in Physical Education Teacher Education: A Socialization Perspective

ABSTRACT

Physical education teacher education (PETE) programs are encouraged to develop teachers capable of delivering technology integrated learning experiences. Technological pedagogical content knowledge provides a framework for integrating technology into teacher education programs. Occupational socialization theory describes an educator’s recruitment, training, and socialization in the teaching profession. The purpose of this article is to propose a conceptual framework for helping preservice physical educators develop technological pedagogical content knowledge that is grounded in occupational socialization theory. We specifically recommend a four-phase approach to help preservice teachers (a) build their knowledge and learn to value technology in physical education, (b) observe and explore through instructor modeling and integration, (c) experiment and collaborate with mentoring and scaffolding, and (d) discover through innovation and utilization. These suggestions acknowledge the sociopolitical aspects of learning to teach with technology and implications are discussed along with the need to help preservice teachers transfer technology integration into their professional careers.

KEYWORDS:

• Physical education
• teacher education
• TPACK
• occupational socialization theory
• technology training

Notes

1. Constructivist orientation: Through the interaction of what they already know and believe and the ideas or phenomena with which they come into contact, individuals create their own new understandings (Richardson, 1997).

2. Case-based learning: Descriptive stories about teachers in schools that allow preservice teachers to think about and talk about teaching challenges with the goal of developing the skills needed to identify meaningful suggestions for addressing problems (Stroot, 2014).

3. Problem-based learning: Experiential learning in which students collaborate to solve an authentic problem with the teacher acting as a facilitator and providing scaffolding as necessary (So & Kim, 2009).

4. Autobiographical essay writing: Student-authored essays that serve as a reflective process in which preservice teachers reexamine their motivations for entering PETE and describe the type of teachers they want to become (Betourne & Richards, 2015).

5. Critical incident reflection: Preservice teachers reflect by writing about anything they find significant after authentic teaching experiences (Curtner-Smith & Sofo, 2004).

6. Other constructivist teaching strategies: Project-based learning, small and large group discussions, and reflective writing experiences focused on connecting what students already know and believe with new ideas or theories (Richardson, 1997).

7. Learning by design: Preservice teachers design technological artifacts for instructional purposes and use technology to teach content in school contexts (Lu et al., 2011).