Health and Physical Education Teacher Education 2.0 - Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions on Developing Digital Twitter Skills

Oct 15, 2026

The article examines how Web 2.0 tools such as Twitter may support Health and Physical Education Teacher Education (HPETE). It addresses the lack of research on the social media potential within HPETE by investigating pre-service teachers’ perceptions of Twitter use in H-PETE training. A constructivist online learning framework guided the study, using an online survey of 35 Australian participants. Results highlight perceived value for learning facilitation, engagement, international insight, and improved communication, alongside barriers such as training adequacy, privacy, and excessive technology use.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Web 2.0 and social media in higher education

Twitter in teacher education and professional development

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 44 | Issue 2 | Article 3 | | --- | --- | 2019 Health and Physical Education Teacher Education 2.0: Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions on Developing Digital Twitter Skills Brendon P. Hyndman Charles Sturt University, [bhyndman@csu.edu.au](bhyndman@csu.edu.au) Stephen Harvey Ohio University, [harveys3@ohio.edu](harveys3@ohio.edu) Recommended Citation Hyndman, B. P., & Harvey, S. (2019). Health and Physical Education Teacher Education 2.0: Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions on Developing Digital Twitter Skills. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44 (2). Retrieved from [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss2/3](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss2/3) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss2/3](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss2/3) Australian Journal of Teacher Education Health and Physical Education Teacher Education 2.0: Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions on Developing Digital Twitter Skills Brendon Hyndman Charles Sturt University Stephen Harvey Ohio University, United States Abstract: The advent of Web 2.0 technologies such as Twitter are reflective of an improved capacity for global educative collaboration. Yet there is an absence of research determining the potential of social media within Health and Physical Education Teacher Education (HPETE). The aim of this paper was to therefore determine pre-service teachers’(PSTs)perceptions of the potential of using Twitter within H-PETE training. The study was underpinned by a constructivist online learning framework. PSTs (n=35) enrolled at a regional Australian university were recruited to participate via online survey. Themes revealed PSTs perceived Twitter could be valuable during H PETE for facilitating learning, technology engagement, capturing international insight, enhancing collaboration and communication. In contrast, PSTs described potential barriers to using Twitter relating to receiving adequate training, privacy, excessive technology use, determining Twitter’s functionality and application across educational contexts. Unpacking PSTs’perceptions of the potential of Twitter within H-PETE can contribute to the pedagogical decisions made by teacher educators to improve social media uptake in PSTs. Introduction An estimate of 165 million students are engaged in higher education studies internationally (Marope, Wells, & Hazelkorn, 2013) with these numbers expected to rise by almost one million students by 2023 (Maslen, 2012) . Tertiary institutions continue to invest time in determining key strategies to effectively teach such a mass of enrolments (Marope et al., 2013) . Students born after 1982 (when the personal computer entered the world) have been entering higher education described as ‘Generation Y’, ‘Digital natives’,‘Next Gen’ers’and ‘Millenials’(Perna, 2018) . These students have grown up with an increased immersion in digital media products as part of this modern context with high proportions owning a personal computer (Oblinger, 2004) . To meet modern study needs, universities have expanded online delivery modes to ensure greater flexibility, convenience and accessibility beyond traditional classroom boundaries for students (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004; Hyndman, 2017a) . Online delivery of courses has also meant greater consideration is required into how learning resources and support can be facilitated within university classes (McMahon & Dinan Thompson, 2014; Hyndman, 2017a) . A consideration for universities in this expanding online market is to how to connect and align learning with the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies which include social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook (Chawinga, 2017) . Such social media platforms have transformed how the public can communicate across work disciplines, countries and contexts Vol 44, 2, February 2019 34 Australian Journal of Teacher Education

FAQs

What problem does the paper address about social media in HPETE?

The paper notes an absence of research on the potential of social media, specifically Twitter, within Health and Physical Education Teacher Education (HPETE).

What study method and theoretical basis does the paper use?

The study uses a constructivist online learning framework and collects data through an online survey with 35 Australian pre-service teachers.

What benefits and barriers do pre-service teachers associate with using Twitter in H-PETE training?

They perceive Twitter as valuable for learning facilitation, technology engagement, capturing international insight, and enhancing collaboration and communication; barriers include insufficient training, privacy concerns, excessive technology use, and uncertainty about Twitter’s educational functionality across contexts.

Oct 15, 2026

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