Constructing a Structural Model of Information and Communication Technologies Competency for Pre-service Physical Education Teachers

This study focuses on constructing a structural model of pre-service physical education teachers' information-based teaching competence, aiming to address the poor adaptability of existing teacher ICT frameworks to physical education.
The research used a mixed-methods design in two stages. In the first stage, based on grounded theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 university teachers specializing in digital physical education and teacher education, generating 19,000 words of text. Using NVIVO15.0, three-level coding was performed to extract five main categories: technical literacy, teaching design and implementation, assessment and feedback, collaboration and communication, and digital ethics and security, forming an initial model (with 15 secondary indicators and 47 initial concepts). Theoretical saturation test (no new categories) and coding consistency test (coefficient 0.862) verified its reliability. In the second stage, structural equation modeling was used for verification. Questionnaires were distributed to 339 sophomores to seniors majoring in physical education at Guangzhou Sport University, with an effective recovery rate of 86.9%. The scale showed good reliability (overall Cronbach’s Alpha=0.911; each dimension 0.81-0.87) and validity (KMO=0.897, p<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated all dimensions had factor loadings >0.7, and model fit indices (CMIN/DF=1.348, GFI=0.960, etc.) met standards.
Key findings: The overall information-based teaching competence of pre-service physical education teachers was moderate (M=3.72). Development was unbalanced: digital ethics and security performed best (M=3.83), while assessment and feedback were weakest (M=3.62). All dimensions showed significant positive correlations (r=0.418-0.529), forming a synergistic mechanism of "technology as foundation, design as core, assessment as closed loop, collaboration as expansion, and ethics as bottom line". Notably, pre-service teachers had insufficient technological innovation, regarded information technology merely as an auxiliary tool, and there was a shortage of information-based teaching cases for motor skills (accounting for <30%).
The results can guide universities to optimize curricula (e.g., strengthening sports data analysis and VR teaching modules) and assist educational authorities in improving standards. Limitations include samples from a single institution; multi-regional follow-up studies are needed.