Background and Purpose
Physical education is essential for developing students’ physical, mental, and cognitive skills while reducing stress, making it a key subject in schools worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional education, prompting a shift to online learning, which created challenges for practical subjects like physical education. Online instruction often faces reduced student engagement, limited physical activity, lack of hands-on practice, insufficient teacher digital skills, and unequal access to technology. Blended learning, combining face-to-face and virtual instruction, offers an effective solution by leveraging the strengths of both approaches. Successful implementation requires teacher training, learner digital literacy, infrastructure, instructional design, interactive learning, and assessment systems. Blended physical education can employ flipped classrooms, online content, and flexible scheduling while preserving practical activities. Despite some global experience, Iran lacks a systematic, culturally adapted framework. This study develops a comprehensive, systemic framework integrating human, technological, instructional, managerial, and evaluative components to improve learning outcomes, student participation, and teaching quality in post-pandemic schools.​
 
Methods
The present study was exploratory in nature and employed a qualitative method using a grounded theory approach with a Glaserian perspective. Participants included experts in research and curriculum planning for health and physical education at the Ministry of Education, university professors and specialists in physical education curriculum planning, and educational coordinators of physical education. Sampling was conducted purposefully and theoretically, using criterion-based selection until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were collected through 21 in-depth interviews over a two-month period (from the eighteenth interview, theoretical saturation was achieved, and the remaining interviews were conducted solely to ensure the accuracy of findings). Each interview lasted between 20 to 90 minutes, depending on the participant’s familiarity with and engagement in the topic. The written transcripts of each interview were sent to participants via email for validation. Continuous involvement of the researchers in data collection and analysis, review and verification of extracted codes, and re-coding of interviews by two expert collaborators familiar with qualitative research methods were employed to ensure the reliability of the study’s instruments. Following the completion of all interviews, open, axial, and selective coding was performed to identify the core category. During the interviews, general research questions related to the main topic were initially posed. As the interviews progressed and new cases were selected, questions became more detailed and specific. Participants were asked to evaluate the position of physical education in comparison with other subjects, explain whether a blended learning approach could be applied to physical education as in other subjects, and describe how this approach could be implemented. Other interview topics included: sections of the physical education curriculum requiring revision based on the blended model; assessment methods; supervision and monitoring procedures; existing barriers to implementing blended learning; strategies to overcome these barriers; prerequisites for implementation; outcomes of blended learning; sociocultural and cross-organizational factors affecting successful implementation; roles of relevant institutions and organizations; and, finally, the division of responsibilities among institutions and organizations at national, provincial, and inter-organizational levels based on the objectives of the physical education curriculum.​
 
Results
After analyzing the qualitative data, 253 initial codes were identified through open coding and categorized into 30 subcategories and 13 secondary categories during axial coding. In selective coding, the "optimal blended learning model for physical education" was identified as the core category, with five main categories extracted: teacher-student, infrastructural requirements, content and instructional methods, participation and interaction, and supervision and evaluation.
Teacher-Learner: This category includes teacher professional development and enhancing students’ literacy. Teacher competence, expertise, and empowerment, alongside parental education and development of students’ informational, media, and skill literacy, are crucial for successful blended learning implementation.
Infrastructural Requirements: Establishing technological infrastructure, equipment, support systems, management and planning, revising educational structures, teacher guides, software, and sports facilities are prerequisites for implementing blended learning. Institutional support and socio-cultural awareness are also necessary for adoption and success.
Content and Teaching Methods: Producing practical and engaging content, utilizing both physical and digital resources, and applying active teaching strategies, flipped classrooms, and interactive methods are key components. Instructional content must align with students’ needs and be effectively learnable.
Participation and Interaction: Networking and intra- and inter-organizational interactions, student engagement with teachers, content, and parents, and collaboration with organizations and media are essential for successful blended learning. Virtual instruction can enhance interactions and improve access between teachers and learners.
Assessment and Supervision: Continuous assessment, diversified evaluation methods, and monitoring teacher performance and the quality of digital content are critical for success. Focusing on feedback and guidance rather than mere control enables improvement of the educational process.
Overall, successful implementation of blended physical education requires simultaneous attention to teachers and students, infrastructure, instructional content, interactions, and effective supervision. This comprehensive framework can enhance learning quality, student engagement, and achievement of physical education goals in schools. Based on the findings from open, axial, and selective coding, and considering a systems perspective, the proposed model and framework for blended physical education instruction are presented in Figure
 

Figure 1. Blended Learning Model for the Physical Education Course
 
Conclusion
The use of innovative and transformative technologies has paved the way for the development of e-learning and, gradually, blended learning. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Iran’s education system was entirely traditional, with limited experience in virtual learning, particularly in physical education. Traditional methods were teacher-centered and one-dimensional, whereas modern approaches are active, interactive, and exploratory, giving learners a central role. Blended physical education, designed within a systemic framework, can cohesively improve educational quality. This framework includes inputs such as competent teachers, technological infrastructure, and targeted content; processes such as modern teaching methods, in-person and virtual interaction, and continuous assessment; and outputs such as increased student participation, enhanced physical and digital skills, and professional development of teachers. Two approaches are proposed for implementing blended learning: (1) a technology-enriched approach using a flipped classroom while maintaining traditional class time, and (2) a flexible approach combining reduced in-person time with online instruction. Providing necessary infrastructure, conducting workshops and training, empowering teachers, and collaborating with organizations are essential prerequisites for the successful implementation of blended physical education.​
Article Message
By integrating virtual and face-to-face strategies, this study provides a comprehensive framework that can improve the effectiveness and adaptability of physical education in schools.​
Authors’ Contributions
Conceptualization: Author 1: 50%; Author 2: 30%; Author 3: 20%
Data Collection: Author 1: 20%; Author 2: 30%; Author 3: 50%
Data Analysis: Author 1: 40%; Author 2: 50%; Author 3: 10%
Manuscript Writing: Author 1: 50%; Author 2: 50%
Review and Editing: Author 1: 20%; Author 2: 60%; Author 3: 20%
Literature Review: Author 1: 20%; Author 2: 70%; Author 3: 10%
Project Manager: Author 1: 100%​
Conflict of Interest
According to the authors, this article has no conflict of interest.​
 
Acknowledgments
The authors sincerely thank all the participants in this study who collaborated honestly with the research team and provided valuable information regarding the subject of the research. This study is derived from a research project entitled “Developing a Blended (Face-to-Face and Virtual) Education Model for the Physical Education Curriculum in Schools”, financially supported by the General Directorate of Education of North Khorasan Province. The authors gratefully acknowledge the material and moral support of this Directorate as well as the cooperation of all its staff and officials.​