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<p>Physical education (PE) is one of the core subjects in schools and plays a vital role in promoting students’ physical and mental well-being. As key decision-makers, principals significantly influence the implementation of PE. The shift to online PE during the pandemic posed unique challenges, making principals’ attitudes particularly critical—yet this area remains under-researched. This study employed a thematic interview approach based on convenience and snowball sampling and drew upon transformational leadership theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 principals (each with at least one year of administrative experience) from public primary and secondary schools in China to explore their perceptions of online PE. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes from the leadership perspective. None of the schools had experience with online teaching. From the interviews, eight themes emerged: three themes (Coexistence, Generality, Concern) were related to the implementation process of online PE; three themes (Cooperation, Worry, Discontent) were concerning principals’ perceptions of online PE participants; and two themes (Neglect, Complement) were regarding future online PE. Online PE presented both advantages and challenges, and PE teachers encountered insufficient support. Principals were expected to collaborate with parents, yet principals expressed negative views regarding teachers conducting online PE lessons and the overall student learning experiences. Additionally, there was a lack of focus and attention from principals on the future of online PE, with online and offline modalities requiring better integration to complement each other effectively. From a transformational leadership perspective, principals were aware of educational technology integration, school culture development, and teacher collaboration, but lacked focus on individualized support, indicating an underdeveloped leadership dimension. The study offers practical implications for improving school leadership strategies, teacher support, and the future integration of online PE into educational practice.</p>

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Principals’ attitudes and perceptions towards online physical education

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月30日

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  • Xiaolong Song,
  • Jadeera Phaik Geok Cheong,
  • Shanguang Zhao

摘要

Physical education (PE) is one of the core subjects in schools and plays a vital role in promoting students’ physical and mental well-being. As key decision-makers, principals significantly influence the implementation of PE. The shift to online PE during the pandemic posed unique challenges, making principals’ attitudes particularly critical—yet this area remains under-researched. This study employed a thematic interview approach based on convenience and snowball sampling and drew upon transformational leadership theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 principals (each with at least one year of administrative experience) from public primary and secondary schools in China to explore their perceptions of online PE. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes from the leadership perspective. None of the schools had experience with online teaching. From the interviews, eight themes emerged: three themes (Coexistence, Generality, Concern) were related to the implementation process of online PE; three themes (Cooperation, Worry, Discontent) were concerning principals’ perceptions of online PE participants; and two themes (Neglect, Complement) were regarding future online PE. Online PE presented both advantages and challenges, and PE teachers encountered insufficient support. Principals were expected to collaborate with parents, yet principals expressed negative views regarding teachers conducting online PE lessons and the overall student learning experiences. Additionally, there was a lack of focus and attention from principals on the future of online PE, with online and offline modalities requiring better integration to complement each other effectively. From a transformational leadership perspective, principals were aware of educational technology integration, school culture development, and teacher collaboration, but lacked focus on individualized support, indicating an underdeveloped leadership dimension. The study offers practical implications for improving school leadership strategies, teacher support, and the future integration of online PE into educational practice.