Pearls and Pitfalls of Online Physical Education

The pandemic has had a significant impact on various aspects of society, including the delivery of Physical Education (PE) classes in schools. In the aftermath, the perspectives and learned experiences of Physical Education and Sports Teacher Candidates in implementing online PE practices have gained importance. Given this context, the present study aimed to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by online PE courses during this period. To achieve this, a descriptive qualitative approach was employed, combining qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis. The study involved 12 PE who participated in semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that the identified themes centered on the professional experience and reputation of PE, as well as the challenges and opportunities in delivering online PE courses. The findings suggest that PE are committed to their profession and are willing to adapt to new modes of teaching. The results also highlighted that online PE could serve as an alternative tool for promoting health and fitness, especially in times of future crises. Additionally, the findings provided insights for Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs to integrate technology into their curricula to help pre-service PE teach effectively in online environments.