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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine K-12 physical education teachers 'perceptions of ability and usage of technology. Physical educators (n=114) completed the Physical Education Technology Usage Survey assessing their perceived technology competency, how and why they utilize technology, challenges they face in implementing technology, and where they learned to use technology. Results indicated a high level of perceived competency with many forms of technology but differences based on gender, teaching level, and years of experience. Low competency levels were shown for website creation, PDAs, heart rate monitors, and body composition analyzers. The teachers reported that student learning can be enhanced with technology because it aids the visual learner, facilitates individual development, and is useful for assessment purposes.
As society becomes increasingly high-tech, schools are expected to keep up with technology advances and prepare students with the skills needed to use technology effectively. This expectation has been explicitly articulated in technology standards. The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), established by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) (2000), include separate sets of standards for teachers, students, and administrators. Fortynine states have "adopted, adapted, aligned with, or otherwise referenced at least one set of standards in their state technology plans, certification, licensure, curriculum plans, assessment plans, or other official state documents" (ISTE, 2004). In addition to the NETS, two organizations have specifically targeted physical educators with standards related to technology, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). NASPE dedicated a standard solely to technology in its standards for beginning physical education teachers (NASPE, 2003). The NBPTS, in its assessment process for certification, requires a demonstration of content knowledge by physical educators in "...appropriate uses of technology for effective physical education instruction" (National Board, 2003, np). A bevy of articles in the recent physical education literature have addressed technology and included strategies for meeting the technology standards (Fiorentino & Castelli, 2005; Mohnsen, 2005a; Mohnsen, 2005c) as well as current types of technology and their applications in physical education (Dunn & Tannehill, 2005; Mohnsen, 2005b; Schlatter & Hurd, 2005 ; Silverman, 1997; Trout & Zamora, 2005; Wegis & van der Mars, 2006).
The available technology includes what is common for most subject...