Exploring the experiences and implications of the previous teachers who participated in the ‘New Sports Practical and Teaching Methods’ major class using LMS reflective writing

Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of pre-service teachers who took the ‘new sports practical skills and teaching method’ using LMS reflection writing at universities. Methods For 15 weeks from March 2 to June 8, 2023, the reflective essays written by elementary school preparatory teachers who participated in the New Sports Practical Skills and Teaching Methods class using reflective writing for 2 hours a week and the data collected through one in-depth interview were inductively categorically analyzed. Results The experience of the primary pre-service teacher who participated in the new sports practical skills and teaching method class is as follows. First, elementary pre-service teachers with low motor skills were able to discover the charm of new sports as they participated in new sports with less pressure. Second, primary pre-service teachers have acquired the intrinsic and extrinsic value of new sports. Third, the pre-service teachers were able to expand their practical knowledge of new sports as well as their understanding of teaching methods in the course of class demonstration exercises, thereby increasing their perspective on lesson design and management. Fourth, it broke away from school physical education, which was limited to modern sports, and laid the foundation for the operation of various physical education classes. Fifth, through reflective writing, primary pre-service teachers were able to improve their expertise as a future teacher by repeatedly having active and subjective reflections on the process of class participation. Conclusions Because the new sports practice and teaching method using LMS reflective writing provides meaningful experience to prospective elementary school teachers, it is desirable for it to be operated in the physical education department curriculum of immediate teacher education institutions.