School health programs offer a great opportunity to promote students' health through physical activity (Yuksel et al., 2020). However, the potential of digitalization as a social transformation in physical education (PE) could be better exploited in the area of health promotion (Goodyear et al., 2019; Knoke et al., 2024). The aim of this guideline-based interview study is therefore to investigate the experiences and attitudes of students and teachers towards digital media for students’ health promotion in PE.

The extended technology acceptance model (TAM) by Davis (1986) was used as a theoretical basis to determine the acceptance of health promotion through digital media. The model describes that a user's attitude towards the system influences whether media is actually used (Davis, 1986). In the context of the use of digital media in PE, this means that the core variables have an influence on whether or not a teacher will use digital media in their physical education lessons. The three-stage model by Nutbeam (2000) was also used as a model for health literacy. Nutbeam (2000) classifies health literacy and thus the handling of health-related information in a three-stage model. The first level of the functional form ("functional health literacy") describes the ability to research and use health-related information as well as the basic ability to read and write. The communicative-interactive form ("interactive health literacy") describes the ability to use various sources and to consider the origin of the information and thus its trustworthiness. The highest level of health literacy in Nutbeam's model (2000) is the "critical form", i.e. the ability to critically reflect on health-related information.

A qualitative method was chosen in order to openly ask teachers and students about their experiences and assessments of the use of digital media for health promotion and health literacy in PE lessons. The use of a qualitative method can be justified by the existing research gap in the field of health promotion in physical education with digital media. The qualitative research design also offers the opportunity to take an exploratory approach to the reality of students' experiences in the classroom. To answer the research question on the experiences and acceptance of students and teachers regarding health promotion through digital media in physical education, a total of 25 semi-structured guided interviews were conducted and analysed using MAXQDA with qualitative content analysis according to Mayring by coding. The interviews were conducted as individual and group interviews and comprised a sample of N=15 students and N=10 PE teachers at German schools of various types who voluntarily participated in the study. In the first block of questions, the guideline asked what experiences had already been made with the use of digital media to promote health in PE lessons. This was followed by questions on attitudes towards the use of digital media for health promotion in PE lessons. In addition, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by Davis (1986) was used as the theoretical basis for the interview guide. The guideline questions related both to experiences with the use of digital media for health promotion and health literacy in physical education and to the assessment of, for example, the suitability or efficiency and the required characteristics of these digital media for use in physical education.

The interview study revealed that digital media have only been used to a limited extent to promote health in PE lessons so far. Some of the teachers stated that they had little knowledge of the use of digital media in PE lessons, and that it is often unclear how digital media can be applied in PE lessons to promote health. These results are confirmed by the statements of the students. In the area of "system use" (TAM), the existing experiences and attitudes of students and PE teachers regarding the use of digital media for health promotion in PE lessons most frequently include the areas of applications (apps), videos, tracking and communication. The digital medium most frequently mentioned was the tablet. With regard to the acceptance of the use of digital media in PE lessons, the teachers’ perspectives differed from those of the students, who were predominantly positive. The reasons for the students' positive attitude towards the use of digital media for health promotion are an expected healthier lifestyle, expected reliable health information and a preference for digital media, which can lead to increased motivation. Expected or experienced difficulties were mentioned by the students, e.g. in connection with the media skills of the PE teachers, by both sides regarding data management and primarily by the PE teachers regarding time management and the students' active exercise time. External factors such as a lack of or poor Wi-Fi in sports halls, inadequate equipment at schools and a lack of guidance on the use of digital media in PE lessons were reported by both PE teachers and students. Based on these findings, possible PE-specific modifications to the underlying theoretical models are discussed.

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