From wearables to VR: The evolving role of technology in sports coaching (2019-2025)

Abstract

The use of technology in the field of physical education (PE) has transformed the modern way of teaching in the digital era. The proposed systematic review (2019-2024) is aimed at understanding what the cutting-edge technologies, including wearable sensors, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality, AI-driven analytics, motion capture technology and gamified platforms can achieve in PE (adoption, efficacy and obstacles). Web of Science, Google Scholar, Research Gate and ERIC literature were analyzed to provide insights into the trends of learning outcomes and barriers to implementations, which dominated. The key findings refer to the fact that technology enhances real-time skill evaluation (52%) and promotes inclusion in participation and student motivation (68% of researches). Nevertheless, not all obstacles are overcome, with infrastructural constraints (40% of the studies), lack of technological savvy among the teachers, and privacy of data being an ethical issue. The review proposes a model of sustainable integration emphasizing the alignment of the pedagogy and cost-efficient solutions. By critically discussing the dynamic nature of technology-enhanced physical education, the present study provides some informed recommendations to researchers, teachers, and policymakers on how they can use technology to the best of its potential and minimize its limitations.