TikTok as a New Resource in the Area of Physical Education in Primary Education

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The International Journal of Technologies in Learning
ISSN: 2327-0144 (Print), ISSN: 2327-2686 (Online)
Volume 30, Issue 2, 2023 https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-0144/CGP/v30i02/51-66 TikTok as a New Resource in the Area of Physical
Education in Primary Education
Andrea Rueda-Arranz, University of Granada, Spain
José Antonio Martínez-Domingo, University of Granada, Spain
Magdalena Ramos-Navas-Parejo, University of Granada, Spain
Juan Carlos de la Cruz-Campos, University of Granada, Spain
Received: 07/14/2022; Accepted: 12/19/2022; Published: 06/07/2023 Abstract: The advancement of social networks and the use of new technologies are a part of our society, as
it is in continuous technological advancement and the demands placed on technology are higher and
higher. The aim of this work is to study the use of TikTok by future physical education teachers and their
views on its use in schools. The sample consisted of students from the University of Granada (n = 50) who
are studying for a degree in primary education, with a specialization in physical education. Results show
that there is little teacher training on emerging social networks and little observation and research on
profiles related to teaching and physical activity. The study uses a questionnaire and an interview with two
teachers to examine the possible incorporation of the social network TikTok in the classroom, as well as the
practice of physical exercise by students in their free time using this application.
Keywords: Primary Education, Physical Education, TikTok, Social Networks, Information and Communication
Technologies
Introduction
Progress in information and communication technologies (ICT) is reflected in the field of
education. Teachers are faced with the need to update their skills, abilities, knowledge, and
classroom methodologies so that the new generations are nurtured and get to learn in more
motivating and efficient ways, as they depend more and more on the world of ICT,
entertainment, and digital culture. The area of physical education (PE) is a perfect place for
the development of technological competence, thanks to the nature of recreation, sharing,
and competition through sport or play that it provides. ICT-enhanced physical education can
be considered as a way by which pupils are continuously acquiring knowledge.
Considering the area of physical education as fundamental in the integral development
of pupils, we can see the relationship between the carrying out of recreational activities and
the impact it has on increasing the acquisition of fundamental values of pupils. It should be
borne in mind that the area of physical education is of great interest to pupils in most cases,
so it is very important to keep them motivated in this throughout their schooling. Within
this area, we find the block of corporal expression that must be carried out in all primary
education courses and that generally does not create interest or motivation in many students.
Using new technologies, methodologies, and content, students could be motivated to
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participate in this block. Whether a student is satisfied or not with the subject is an important
variable to note (Baena-Extremera et al. 2012). When a student feels satisfied, enjoys
themselves, and is usually intrinsically motivated, participation in class increases and physical
exercise in his/her free time will also increase, as stated by Ntoumanis (2005).
A teacher must be creative to deal with the problems that may arise daily in the classroom
or on the sports field. An environment must be designed in which the teaching and learning
processes meet the needs of the students, such as the need to live together, share and be
educated in values, and acquire all the necessary knowledge to do so. The violence that many
pupils experience in class is triggered by the media, advertising, and social networks, so a
good ICT education is crucial for the good development of today’s students.
Colef points out:
In short, Physical Education is fundamental for the integral development of pupils.
We must therefore ensure that it is delivered in a safe and responsible manner, for
teachers and learners, thus ensuring that they acquire the core competencies and
provide them with the skills and opportunities for health promotion and wellbeing
that are so important during these uncertain and difficult times. This will also help
them to have tools and build resilience in the future. (2020, 26)
If today’s world revolves around ICT, it is necessary to equip students with sufficient knowledge
to be able to function in society and meet its demands. Moreover, by giving a virtual approach to
this area, one of the main objectives of physical education teaching can be achieved, which is that
pupils acquire healthy lifestyle habits and practice physical exercise in their free time; giving them
the incentive to do it virtually will motivate their interest in this practice.
Technological development is not the same in all countries and communities, so there is
an urgent need to develop alternatives to improve the practice of physical education virtually,
both due to the pandemic situation, as well as because of the inclusion of ICT in daily face-
to-face practice. It is just as important to consider virtual physical activity as it is to prepare
students for the future that awaits them. García explains,
We must leave our recent and old normal life behind us (and I think for good). We must
learn and relearn to live in a new era. The sooner we take this on board and look for
forward-looking solutions, the more creativity, innovation and progress sport will have
in all its versions. A large window of opportunity opens. (García Tascón 2020, 1)
Physical education is adaptable and should aim to help students enhance social skills and
solve social problems, whether through virtual or face-to-face activities. It has to be taken into
account that the application of ICT resources in the practice of sport fosters inclusive, playful
approaches, corporeality, respect, and the development of creative skills.
Since the quarantine, with the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, the social network
TikTok has reached very high download figures across the globe (Piedra 2020). It is a social
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network that allows you to post videos related to any topic, so there is a wide variety of users.
It is used to record videos from fifteen seconds to one minute long, most of the time recorded
as a selfie; though music is usually the main component of the video, not only music videos
but also narrative videos can be made, adding a wide variety of filters, effects, or stickers. It
has been designed in Asia, based on sharing content in the form of videos or music clips.
There are features such as comments, likes, audio, and music and there is also the possibility
to share the content privately—only to friends—or to the whole TikTok audience. On the
other hand, it is neither mandatory nor necessary to upload content to your profile on this
application, so you can view all types of content without having to commit to posting videos.
In general, the videos observed are humorous, although in recent months we have been
seeing content of all kinds, for example, teachers sharing their experiences, people advertising
products, or even video tutorials about something specific, such as make-up, decoration, etc.
For the use of this social network in the classroom, mobile devices are a fundamental
resource with great potential in the school environment (Gómez Hernández and Monge
López 2013). Piedra mentions that “the practice of physical activity adapts to new
circumstances, and in this adaptation social networks are playing a key role” (2020, 42).
“Mobile learning” is a methodology that facilitates the construction of knowledge, skills, and
abilities, both technological and peer-to-peer, thus emerging as a way to strengthen content
and motivate students to a great extent (Aznar et al. 2019). We highlight a quote, in which
the author Serres defines the new civilization as “Thumbelina” civilization, saying:
These children therefore live in the virtual world. Cognitive sciences show that using
the Internet, reading or writing messages with the thumbs, consulting Wikipedia or
Facebook do not stimulate the same neurons or the same cortical areas as using a book,
chalk or a notebook. They can manipulate several shapes at the same time. They do
not know, integrate or synthesise as we do, their ancestors. They no longer have the
same head. By mobile phone, they have access to any person; by GPS, to any place; by
the Net, to any knowledge. They occupy a topological space of neighbourhoods,
whereas we used to live in a metric space, referred to by distances. They no longer
inhabit the same space. Without our realising it, a new human was born, during a brief
interval, the one that separates us from the seventies. (Serres 2007, 21)
The use of TikTok can be applied to the representation of history, by adding dates,
costumes, and including corporal expression content; an example of a teacher who
implements this in his classes is Francisco Pajuelo. TikTok can be used as a part of all the
subjects taught in primary education, as well as in those that use information and
communication technologies. Algieri et al. (2009) use ICT in teaching content related to the
digestive system, while other authors such as Bucarey et al. (2011) use integrated learning
based on LAMS and integrated into the Moodle application. Granero Gallegos (2008) uses
the Moodle application for physical education, explaining and delivering assignments, as it
is a platform like Prado, so the tasks can be performed and delivered using TikTok.
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The report “Learning: The Treasure Within” defines the four pillars of knowledge that
form the basis for the holistic development of learners, including emotional and cognitive
development, as follows:
In order to fulfil all of its missions, education must be structured around four
fundamental learning processes which, in the course of life, will be for each person,
in a certain sense, the pillars of knowledge: learning to know, i.e. acquiring the tools
of understanding; learning to do, in order to be able to influence one’s environment;
learning to live together, in order to participate and cooperate with others in all
human activities; and finally, learning to be, a fundamental process which brings
together elements of the previous three. Of course, these four paths of knowledge
converge into one, since there are multiple points of contact, coincidence and
exchange between them. (Delors 1996, 91)
According to this definition, students’ integral knowledge is a set of knowledge and learning
that is essential for dealing with others, the environment, and the needs it presents. So, today
we live in society while totally involved in new technologies, where talking to someone is
often done via WhatsApp; with the COVID-19 pandemic, our daily life has become even
more digitalized (through video calls, photos, social networks, etc.). But this is not only the
case in everyday life, but also in teleconferences and virtual meetings, as well as for interviews
via applications such as Skype or Zoom. If society revolves around technology, students need
to be up to date and acquire the necessary knowledge to be able to cope with it to the best of
their ability. Good ICT training and implementation in the classroom is also therefore crucial
to ensure successful implementation in primary education (Vincent-Lancrin et al. 2019).
Some suggestions we have found for adopting new methodologies and integrating ICT in the
classroom are as follows (Molina Prendes and Mejias Herrera 2020):
▪Ground all practices in sound pedagogical theories.
▪Recognize that the classical pedagogical principles that reinforced traditional face-
to-face education are still valid and are applicable with some reformulations to the
requirements of virtual education.
▪Undertake research processes that reinforce the proposals for change, consolidate the
good practices that are being developed, and guarantee well-articulated future
designs and proposals.
▪Subject institutions, programs, courses, and teachers to ongoing quality assessment
processes.
To this, we add that according to Gómez García, Rodríguez Jiménez, and Ramos-Navas-
Parejo (2019), it has been demonstrated that education through ICT, regardless of its
application, whether with more or less advanced devices, means higher quality teaching and
acquisition of content, improvement in the cognitive development and creativity of students, a
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strong commitment from teachers in the teaching-learning of this area, and a close relationship
between theory, practice, and the physical activity that students carry out outside the school.
In the midst of so much technological progress, physical education is an area that manages
to attract the attention of the majority of students, due to of the aspects of creating, recreating,
and playing that it involves. However, although it is the perfect environment for acquiring good
healthy and sporting habits and a good state of health, there are certain students who end up
becoming demotivated and bored with the classes, which is where ICT-integrated teaching
comes in. Through this practice, greater attention will be paid to the sessions and to the
explanations of the content, and there will be an improvement in performance as well, as the
materials and tools attract attention. Some previous research has shown that the age range
between 13 and 18 years is when the greatest dropout from physical exercise occurs (Martínez
Baena et al. 2012), almost entirely due to a lack of motivation. Therefore, in recent years, there
has been a focus on studies on motivational processes in students for dealing with this type of
problem (Moreno-Murcia et al. 2013). The limitations that various authors highlight are the
scarcity of technological resources in educational centers, the need to see experiences that serve
as a reference point, and the lack of teacher training, as previously mentioned (Fernández,
Fernández, and Rodríguez 2018). It should be emphasized that teachers must update themselves
to face the needs of the modern world, thus facilitating learning that is adapted to the needs of
students in accordance with society and their environment.
The teaching and learning of different subjects in primary and secondary schooling is
currently undergoing major changes due to the inclusion of new information and
communication technologies and teaching methodologies in the classroom (Gutiérrez, Pérez,
and López 2011). So that their knowledge and skills do not become outdated and to be able
to respond to the needs of their students and of today’s society, teachers are obliged to update
themselves and prepare and train continuously in this area (Padilla-Melendez, Del Águila-
Obra, and Garrido-Moreno 2015). A compilation of studies (Borthwick et al. 2015; Demir
and Akpinar 2018) shows that these offer a multitude of designs and practical perspectives
accompanied by the possibility of using portable technologies that can be implemented in
physical education (Bower and Sturman 2015).
According to a study carried out at the University of Valencia in January 2021, with
young students pursuing a university degree in sports sciences, TikTok is a social network
that provides many possibilities for creating musical choreographies, relevant in physical
education in corporal expression, fitting perfectly with the objectives of the same (Escamilla-
Fajardo, Alguacil, and López-Carril 2021). Using the combination of music, rhythm, body
movement, and creativity, it is observed that TikTok can be a very interesting learning tool
that can be used in the body expression block. Also considering the increased numbers of its
downloads among the young population (Su et al. 2020), the study is a pioneering one by
highlighting this application and the characteristics that differentiate it from other social
networks (Instagram or Facebook). It also explores the effect of using TikTok as a pedagogical
tool in the sports science degree at the University of Valencia. The results of this study indicate
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that students use social networks to communicate and share experiences with friends. This
dimension can draw students’ interest and motivation closer to what teachers do and ask for
in the classroom in terms of classroom dynamics. In addition, it should be noted that “TikTok
makes teaching and learning practices more social, open, and collaborative” (Su et al. 2020,
11). Finally, the study shows that TikTok is a social network with many motivational
elements for students, where they can share their videos with the whole world and reduce the
gap between the teaching practices described by Prensky (2001) and the education and
knowledge that students acquire at the end of the teaching-learning process.
In our study we want to observe and investigate whether the TikTok application could
be used as a resource in the physical education classroom by studying future teachers’ use,
knowledge and opinion of this social network. The questions we asked ourselves in the study
and which we intend to resolve are as follows:
▪ To what extent do prospective teachers use TikTok?
▪ Would you use TikTok in the classroom as a resource?
▪ What do physical education teachers think about this social network?
▪ Could it be used as a motivational element in the primary school classroom?
Method
This study has been carried out using a mixed methodology, as it has two parts—a questionnaire
that gives us a quantitative perspective and an interview that provides us with a qualitative view.
The quantitative methodological approach allows us to obtain empirically contrastable data
(Hernández, Fernández, and Baptista 2014); by using a questionnaire, we will be able to observe
and describe the data obtained. We also have a second interview part, in which we use a
qualitative approach for the processing and collection of information. No hypotheses or causal
relationships between variables are hypothesized, but instead, we chose to ask the interviewee
questions about educational research (Smith, Flowers, and Larkin 2009).
Participants and Procedure
The sample was made up of primary education students at the University of Granada,
enrolled in the 2020/2021 academic year in the physical education course. A convenience
sampling was carried out, by groups, in a total of three courses, to reach a total of n = 50, with
a confidence interval of 96% and a 5% margin of error. In the sample obtained, 30 were
women (60%) and 20 were men (40%), and the age ranged from 20 to 26 years.
Instruments
Parasuraman defines a questionnaire as “a set of questions designed to generate the data
necessary to achieve the proposed objectives of a research project” (Parasuraman 1991, 1).
According to Dillon, Madden, and Firtle it is an “instrument for data collection, which formally
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orders questions designed to extract the required information” (1994, 1). We can define a
questionnaire as an instrument used to order and structure questions to be answered to obtain
results in a clear and concise manner, achieving the objectives of the study in question.
Our questionnaire is based on the SMIS: Social Media Intensity Scale (Ellison, Steinfield,
and Lampe 2007) and was distributed online via Google Forms. It was sent to the respondents
through WhatsApp, to four groups of students from the faculty of Granada. It consists of 15
items related to the use of TikTok and some questions related to their opinion on the
application of the social network in the physical education classroom. Questions on how many
hours they spend on TikTok per day, whether or not they upload content, whether they would
use it in the PE classroom, and whether they would recommend its use to their students, among
others, were found. Reliability for this study was good (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.79).
An interview, on the other hand, is a conversation that is conducted for the specific
purpose of collecting data about the topic of research. Its purpose is to obtain information
from the interviewee and the topic to be covered; the information is sought to be as precise
as possible and the questions are carefully determined. The interview for this study was
conducted with two primary school teachers who were currently working. Both interviews
were conducted on the same day, April 28, 2021, and were recorded and handwritten by the
interviewer. The interview consisted of four questions:
1. What do you know about the social network TikTok? Do you know if your students
use TikTok?
2. What do you think of its use in the classroom?
3. Have you ever used it or would you use it?
4. Would you be interested in viewing content related to teaching or physical activity? Why?
Data Analysis
We analyzed the information collected through the questionnaires using IBM SPSS Statistics.
We made a table of frequencies per question, analyzing the mean, median, percentages, and
standard deviation in some of the questions.
Results
According to the results obtained, the average age of the respondents was 21.94 years. Of the
total, 34 indicated that they only study (68%) and 16 that they combined studies with work
(32%). One hundred percent of the respondents were aware of the social network TikTok,
but only 6 people (12%) used TikTok for work.
As we can see in Table 1, 52% of the young people used the application daily, while 48%
did not, and according to Table 2, 82% did not normally publish content, compared to 18%
who did, highlighting the low use of the social network by respondents.
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Table 1: Do You Use TikTok on a Daily Basis?
Frequency
Percentage
Percentage Valid
Percentage Accumulated
Valid
No
24
48
48
48
Yes
26
52
52
100
Total
50
100
100
Table 2: Do You Publish Content Normally?
Frequency
Percentage
Percentage Valid
Percentage Accumulated
Valid
No
41
82
82
82
Yes
9
18
18
100
Total
50
100
100
As can be seen in Table 3, there were quite a few respondents who do not publish content,
namely 30%, and the maximum number of videos published was 2% with 348 videos. In
terms of the number of followers we see a big difference between 2% of the respondents with
a maximum of 3,458 followers and the minimum with 0 followers which corresponds to 8%
of the future teachers.
Table 3: Descriptive Statistics
N
Minimal
Maximum
Media
Standard Deviation
Number of Followers
48
0
3,458
157.54
573.037
Number of Videos
50
0
348
36.04
74.736
Valid N (per List)
48
The starting year for TikTok use for virtually everyone is between 2020 (74%) and 2021
(20%), with the main peak in 2020 due to the Coronavirus quarantine in March 2020. We
also note that 2% started using the social network in 2016, 2018, and 2019. No one installed
and started using TikTok in 2017 (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Percentage of the Year of Starting to Use TikTok
Something that is striking is that 64% visited profiles related to physical activity, but
despite being students of a degree in primary education, we can see that only 34% visited
profiles related to teaching.
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According to Table 4, only 28% said they would use the social network TikTok as a
resource in the PE classroom, with 6% strongly disagreeing. Fifty-two and 40% partially and
totally agreed with proposing challenges or dances to their students (Table 5), while 4%
totally disagreed.
Table 4: I Would Use TikTok Normally in the Physical Education
Classroom as One More Resource
Frequency
Percentage
Percentage Valid
Percentage Accumulated
Valid
1. Fully in disagreement
3
6
6
6
2. Disagree
4
8
8
14
3. In agreement
29
58
58
72
4.Totally in agreement
14
28
2
100
Total
50
100
100
Table 5: I Would Challenge My Students by Using TikTok
Frequency
Percentage
Percentage Valid
Percentage Accumulated
Valid
1. Fully in disagreement
2
4
4
4
2. Disagree
2
4
4
8
3. In agreement
26
52
52
60
4.Totally in agreement
20
40
40
100
Total
50
100
100
Finally, 44 and 34% of respondents agreed and strongly agreed, respectively, on using
TikTok to motivate their students, as well as for them to increase their leisure time physical
activity. It should also be noted that 44 and 48% agreed and totally agreed, respectively, that
the social network would be a motivating resource for pupils in primary education.
In relation to the inclusion of the application in the classroom, we see many differences
and diverse opinions, as many of the respondents do not see content related to teaching
(66%), but nevertheless do not rule out using it in the physical education classroom, as shown
in Table 4. There are still 4% of respondents who strongly disagreed with the idea that TikTok
can be a motivator even though it is among the top downloads and there are many users who
use it. Also, in terms of recommending that their students use it as a resource at home for
physical activity, only 24% strongly agreed.
With regard to the results obtained in the two interviews, we observed that both teachers
knew the application perfectly well: “It is one of the social networks that has gained the most
followers lately. It is an application that allows you to create, edit, and upload short video
selfies of various kinds.”
Neither uses it in their classes, but even so, they do not rule out its implementation. As
one of the teachers interviewed explained: “I don’t rule out using it, as it would be an ideal
tool to check physical activity work at home, as sometimes two Physical Education sessions a
week are insufficient.”
It can be seen in the case of both interviewees that there is a limitation in their use due
to the age of the pupils in the primary education stage. It is worth noting that they both
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agreed that it would be a motivating tool in the classroom but that it would be necessary to
study how this could be done.
Discussion
TikTok has been seen to be one of the most widely used applications in society from 2020
onward, although today its use is more for leisure than for work.
In relation to the purpose of its use, entertainment and spending time using ICT stand
out as the main motivation (McCune and Thompson 2011). As we can see in the results of
the questionnaire, as in the interview, it is not currently a social network that is used in
education on a large scale, although it is a very motivating tool for students. According to
Escamilla-Fajardo, Alguacil, and López-Carril (2021), TikTok is a social network that provides
various possibilities for the creation of dances, challenges, and choreographies that fit
perfectly with the objectives of physical education, which corroborates with the fact that
future teachers see the application of TikTok as viable in the classroom.
It is important to emphasize that it is necessary to train teachers on these new tools, since,
as we can see, many discard them without even trying them or simply use other social
networks that are easier to use, but may be less useful in the classroom. Most respondents do
not use TikTok daily and rule out the possibility of doing so in the classroom or in the
students’ environment. We relate this to the statement that there are currently many digital
limitations on the part of teachers, as well as the lack of technological resources in educational
centers (Fernández, Fernández, and Rodríguez 2018). The current digital needs of primary
school pupils are wide-ranging and important for schools to address. Today we live in a
society where using electronic devices is the order of the day. Therefore, the pupils we have
today need comprehensive training, including in the use of ICT for many of their tasks so
that they feel comfortable and motivated when carrying them out. TikTok is a motivating
tool for students, as it allows them to create, imagine, and record videos with a mobile device
or tablet, which they are generally not used to handling in the classroom. Also, the creation
of dances or choreographies at home can help make a connection between the classroom and
the content that is taught with what is subsequently done at home.
As per the results of the questionnaire, the majority agreed that they would use it as an
additional resource, but there was still a high percentage (14%) of people who would not. It
should be noted that ICT must be correctly incorporated in educational centers, as authors such
as Rodríguez (2010) state that the integration of information and communication technologies
by way of inadequate training models would not improve learning but can even worsen it. In
spite of this, several authors such as Saltos Bajaña et al. (2021) affirm and are in favor of its
inclusion, as it shows improvements in students, due to their high motivation and interest in it.
From our point of view, it is important to update the technological resources in the
classroom, to adapt teaching to the new generations so that there is greater motivation and
therefore greater performance in different areas. It is possible to appreciate the great gap
between teachers and students when it comes to updating their knowledge with new tools
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and classroom resources, as the interviews reveal that teachers do not contemplate the use of
TikTok basically because of their lack of knowledge of the application. This relates to the
limitations highlighted by Fernández, Fernández, and Rodríguez (2018) on the scarcity of
technological resources in educational centers, the need to see experiences that serve as a
reference, and the lack of teacher training that exists with respect to ICT.
Conclusion
TikTok is the latest social networking phenomenon and has attracted a great deal of interest
across the world. It currently has more than 800 million active users per month, and most of
its users are young people between the ages of 16 and 26, a younger population than that
found on other social networks. The majority of users are young people and even minors, as
the platform offers parental control options for minors, who can control the type of videos
that appear, monitor the content, and even control the time of use of the application. Video-
calling is part of the daily routine of young people these days; ICTs of various kinds surround
them in their environment and TikTok is a very fast social network to publish audiovisual
content in a quick and easy way.
This research on whether TikTok could be another resource in physical education is of
great relevance as it analyzes the degree of use of this application by future teachers and
teachers today, as well as the knowledge they have of it, and its possible implementation in
the classroom. Knowing the uses of and beliefs about this social network and about the
content that is viewed on it is essential to be able to consider the option of using it in the
classroom as another resource. By way of this study, the research questions posed above have
been answered as follows:
▪ PI.1: To what extent do prospective teachers use TikTok?
▫ The use of TikTok by prospective physical education teachers is average;
they all know what the application is and how to use it, but few post content
regularly, nor do many of the respondents view content related to teaching
or physical activity.
▪ PI.2: Would you use TikTok in the classroom as a resource?
▫ The future teachers almost all agree that they would implement this social
network in the classroom, but they still rule out recommending it to their
students to use at home.
▪ PI.3: What do physical education teachers think about this social network?
▫ In summary, both teachers interviewed agree that it is a social network that
offers a wide variety of content and could be used to work on different
content related to the area of physical education and physical exercise
activities at home. On the other hand, they add limits with respect to age or
the quality of the content found on it.
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▪ PI.4: Could it be used as a motivational element in the primary education classroom?
▫ According to the answers obtained, yes, it could be used as another resource
in the physical education classroom, as both the future teachers and the two
teachers interviewed affirm that it would be a motivating tool for pupils and
students, and they do not rule out using it. Instead, families and teachers
should be instructed on the use and functions of the social network.
The TikTok tool can be included in other areas, for example, in Spanish language and
literature, to deal with content such as language functions, the study of narration as a literary
genre, the elaboration of a story, a dialogue, theatrical performances, advertising texts, etc.
It should be noted that the limitations of this work are diverse; there is no internationally
validated instrument for the study of social networks. Each study done on social networking
and all recent research on leading applications such as TikTok has seen each researcher
develop his or her own questionnaire. It should also be noted that the sample obtained is very
small, sufficient for a first approximation to the subject, but it would be advisable to extend
the sample to other degrees than that of sports science.
To conclude, investigating these type of social networks and their potential use in
primary education is essential for the advancement of a society that is in continuous change
and digital development. As well as getting to know the current habits and knowledge of this
social network among future and current teachers, it helps us to assess whether it could really
be used in the classroom and examine its limitations and advantages. From our point of view,
it is a very complete application, suitable for young people and children and with which
many different tasks can be carried out. This type of resource will provide a quality education
that is more motivating for students, which will in turn lead to high school performance and
less school failure. The inclusion of ICT in the classroom is something that has been done for
several years, but today there are still various barriers to its use, whether due to the lack of
resources of the educational centers, inadequate teacher training, or limitations in the
sociocultural environment of the students.
Informed Consent
The authors have obtained informed consent from all participants.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Andrea Rueda-Arranz: Student, Teaching and School Organisation, University of
Granada, Granada, Spain
Email: andrea97ra@correo.ugr.es
José Antonio Martínez-Domingo: Professor, Teaching and School Organization,
University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Corresponding Author’s Email: josemd@ugr.es
Magdalena Ramos-Navas-Parejo: Professor, Teaching and School Organisation,
University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Email: magdalena@ugr.es
Juan Carlos de la Cruz-Campos: Professor, Teaching and School Organisation,
University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Email: juancarlosdelacruz@ugr.es
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