Technology integration for Physical Education teachers: a bibliometric analysis
Abstract
Rapid advancements in information technology have transformed physical education (PE), enabling digital platforms for innovative learning amid sociocultural shifts and COVID-19-driven online pivots, yet PE teachers face challenges like low digital confidence and competency gaps (pedagogical, personal, social, professional). This bibliometric study fills a research void by mapping Scopus trends (2019-2024) via VOSviewer (v1.6.19), addressing RQ1 (publication productivity), RQ2 (influential journals/authors/articles), H1 (2020-2021 peak then decline), and H2 (dominant "PE" and "educational technology" themes with digital literacy gaps); from 1,070 initial hits, 377 English documents were analyzed for co-authorship, citations, and keyword networks (7 clusters, min. 2 occurrences). Results confirm H1 with productivity surging from 25 (2019) to 115 articles (2021) before dropping to 20 (2024), highlight top influencers like Casey, A. (China, 4 docs), Varea et al. (2022; 68 citations on COVID-19 PE changes), and Sargent et al. (2020; 54 citations on flipped learning), plus keyword clusters ("physical education," "e-learning," "sports") revealing gaps in teacher literacy and geographic equity (China/US dominance), underscoring needs for targeted training, AI/VR integration, ASEAN studies, and policy frameworks to sustain post-pandemic gains.