Pre-service teachers' visual attention to student performance in physical education classes: Insights from eye-tracking technology

Abstract

Introduction: Visual attention is critical for effective teaching, particularly in Physical Education, where monitoring motor competence and classroom behaviour is essential. Despite extensive research on teacher gaze in pedagogical context, the visual behaviour of Physical Education teachers in dynamic movement settings remains underexplored. Objective: This study examined how pre-service Physical Education teachers allocate their visual attention when observing students' motor performance and off-task behaviour, using mobile eyetracking technology. Methodology: A sample of first-year Physical Education teacher trainees observed a videorecorded 9th grade class while wearing Tobii Pro Glasses 3. Two motor tasks (closed-skill circuit and open smallsided game) were analysed for fixation patterns. Students' motor competence was assessed via teacher rating, while off-task behaviour was identified through post-viewing questionnaire. Results: Pre-service teachers exhibited stronger visual attention toward students with lower motor competence during the closed task, with significant differences between competence levels. No such correlations emerged during the open task. Despite longer fixations on on-task students, off-task behaviour identification accuracy was low, with no significant gaze-behaviour correlations. Discussion: Findings highlight task-dependent effects, aligning with cognitive load theory, as pre-service teachers prioritised salient cues in structured tasks but struggled in dynamic environments. The discrepancy between gaze patterns and off-task identification underscores a gap in translating visual attention into effective classroom management, contrasting with expert teachers' integrated professional vision. Conclusions: This study underscores the need for targeted training to enhance pre-service teachers' dual-focused attention in Physical Education. Integrating eye-tracking feedback into teacher education could scaffold skill observation and behaviour monitoring, bridging the expert-novice gap.