BARRIERS TO TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION: A QUALITATIVE TPACK-BASED ANALYSIS IN ITALIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Antonio Ascione, Ilenia Amati

Abstract


Despite growing policy emphasis on digital transformation in Italian primary education, Physical Education (PE) remains a marginalised and under-resourced domain for technology integration. Grounded in the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, this study investigates the systemic and contextual barriers faced by PE teachers when attempting to embed digital technologies into their practice.

A qualitative case study was conducted with 12 specialist PE teachers from 10 primary schools in the metropolitan area of Naples. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and two focus groups, transcribed verbatim and analysed via thematic analysis following Braun & Clarke’s (2006) six-phase protocol, supported by NVivo 14. Theoretical saturation was achieved after ten data collection sessions, with two additional sessions confirming category stability. Results:

Seven interrelated barriers emerged: 1) inadequate technological infrastructure; 2) insufficient financial support; 3) lack of discipline-specific training; 4) challenges in managing time and physical space; 5) the persistent marginalisation of PE within the school curriculum; 6) student-related constraints; and 7) scarcity of PE-specific digital resources. Crucially, these barriers disrupt the synergistic development of TPACK dimensions, particularly the integration of Technological 

Knowledge with Pedagogical Knowledge and Content Knowledge, as teachers struggle to translate digital potential into embodied, movement-based pedagogy.

Findings reveal that technological integration in PE is not primarily hindered by teacher resistance but by structural inequities and a mismatch between generic digital policies and the situated, corporeal nature of PE. The study calls for a context-sensitive reframing of TPACK in physical education, proposed here as “PE-TPACK”, and urges policymakers to move beyond one-size-fits-all digital agendas toward discipline-specific infrastructural and formative investments.


Keywords


Physical education; TPACK; technology; primary school; digital competence

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32043/gsd.v10i2.1721

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