What Do the Internet Memes About Physical Education Tell Us?

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the internet memes about physical education (PE) to understand how these digital artifacts represent the attitudes and perceptions toward PE. Method : Using the netnography approach, this is a qualitative study in nature. A total of 241 digital artifacts were collected from nine different digital platforms. A visual content analysis was implemented to understand the conveyed messages and meanings using the social cognitive theory as a framework, which emphasized that human behavior is determined by cognitive, situational, and behavioral factors. Results : Three main themes emerged along with their respective subthemes: “Behavioral Factor: Attitudes toward PE,” “Cognitive Factor: Attitudes toward PE Teacher,” and “Situational Factor: Social Climate in PE.” These findings provide insight into the varied perceptions and stereotypes surrounding PE in popular culture as reflected through internet memes. Discussion/Conclusions : Memetic communication has become an integral part of contemporary society, reproducing beliefs and attitudes. Internet memes can be considered as collective reflections of people on digital platforms, which may help to understand the joint online culture shaped around the attitudes toward PE.