(Re)Produce: professional development of Physical Education teachers in a noninstitutional virtual community

Abstract

The aim of the study is to analyze a virtual community of physical education practice, called (Re)Produce, as a tool for teacher training. To this end, a case study was carried out focusing on the vision of 15 of the 63 members (including university professors, active physical education teachers and students in initial training). The data emerge from the first three years of community functioning from analysis of the content of the forums, semi-structured interviews, and participant comments on the research report presented to them. The results show certain advantages and problems of asynchrony and ubiquity (possibility to participate at a distance and problem of lack of personal contact); written interaction (knowledge accessible over time, more elaboration of the discourse but, on the other hand, more time and more self-control); and flexibility and the voluntary and open character of the community (adjustment to personal interests and needs at the expense of a lack of systematicity and continuity in the development of the themes).