Lessons Learned During the Pandemic: Shaping the Future of Physical Education in India

On March 24, 2020, the Government of India ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, limiting the movement of the entire 1.3 billion population of India as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar to other educators around the world, teachers in India instantly began plans to initiate virtual learning at a scale never seen before. The purpose of this study was to examine the lessons learned from Indian physical education (PE) teachers and provide strategies for leveraging what has been learned during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve the field of PE in India and beyond. The number of responses recorded in this study was 282 across the country with a response rate of 80.57% of whom 52 (18.50%) were female and 230 (81.5%) were male. The high percentage of males in this study mirrors the Indian population of PE teachers, of which the majority are male. Respondents completed the online survey of six Likert scale closed-ended statements and four open-ended questions that were the focus of this research. Mixed responses were received on the confidence level of use of technology now as opposed to prepandemic. Half of the respondents (51.24%) reported being comfortable using technology, and 44.83% reported slight confidence using the technology. The deductive and inductive qualitative analysis led to five themes: (a) effective instruction, (b) technology in teaching, (c) PE, (d) student experiences, and (e) general success. This study’s results can be considered as an opportunity to revamp the curriculum of PE and include proper information and communication technology– related material in the PE teacher training courses. Lesson planning through a virtual mode that readies preservice trainee teachers to tackle similar types of challenges in near future can be offered during training.