Digital Technologies and teacher/coach continuous professional development (CPD) in physical activity education

Through social media, and advances to virtual and augmented reality, digital technologies have evolved into interactive spaces where people connect, collaborate, and share information with the communities they create and participate in. Teachers/coaches are increasingly using these digital tools as part of their continuous professional development (CPD). On various digital platforms practitioners are posting and exchanging pictures, resources, and information. Professional learning communities are also forming where practitioners meet online at specific times to discuss their practice.

Teachers’ and coaches’ professional uses of social media make the use of digital spaces as sites for CPD a compelling avenue of research. With predictions that professional learning will become increasingly digital as we move further into the 21st century, this project is interested in examining how emerging technologies act as spaces for CPD. In particular, how does teachers’ and/or coaches’ engagement with digital tools for CPD impact on their practice and their students.