**Background:** Social media is widely used by preservice physical education teachers, but little is known about how they perceive it, particularly in Eastern countries like China. Most prior research has been conducted in Western countries (United States, Australia, Spain, Ireland, United Kingdom), with limited representation from developing nations. Understanding these perceptions is important because they influence how teachers use social media for professional development. This study aimed to construct a theoretical model of social media perception among Chinese preservice physical education teachers using grounded theory methodology.
**Methods:** Qualitative data were collected from multiple sources, primarily semi-structured interviews with 17 Chinese preservice physical education teachers selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Participants were recruited from every class level, university type, and region of China (East–North, East–South, West–North, West–South). Inclusion criteria were: (1) current active daily use of social media, (2) minimum five years of social media experience, and (3) use of social media for multiple purposes including professional development. Interviews lasted an average of 60 minutes and were conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Six open-ended questions covered participants' perceptions of social media characteristics, uses, challenges, benefits, and preferences. Data were also collected from literature (48 Chinese and 203 English articles) and online posts from platforms including WeChat, Twitter, and TikTok. Data analysis followed grounded theory procedures using ROST CM 6 for transcription and NVivo 12 for coding, involving open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. Trustworthiness was ensured through coding consistency tests and theoretical saturation testing.
**Key Results:** The analysis generated 307 labels, 70 concepts, 10 subsidiary categories, and 3 main categories forming the core category of "preservice physical education teachers' social media perceptions." The three main categories were: (1) Value Perception, comprising Information Value Perception (access to educational materials, cutting-edge knowledge, and professional resources), Interactive Value Perception (online communities, peer support, networking, and global connections), and Intelligent Function Perception (language translation, automatic sourcing, information storage, mobile accessibility); (2) Risk Perception, comprising Psychological Risk Perception (context collapse, identity changes from online mistakes), Information Risk Perception (concerns about accuracy, professionalism, and trustworthiness of information), and Privacy Risk Perception (vulnerability to surveillance, data commodification, lack of transparency); and (3) Overall Perception, comprising Media Interface Perception (quality of images, length of text), Basic Element Perception (financial cost, time investment), Current Status Perception (popularity in and outside university), and Development Trend Perception (future integration, ambivalent views about social media's role). The theoretical model was found to align with Goffman's self-presentation theory, Bourdieu's social capital theory, Sartre's existentialism, and Heidegger's shared world theory.
**Clinical Implications:** This study provides a theoretical framework for understanding how Chinese preservice physical education teachers perceive social media, which can inform teacher education programs and administrative policies. Understanding value perceptions can help teachers adopt strategic approaches to using social media for professional development. Awareness of risk perceptions can help teachers exercise caution in online behavior and information sharing. The overall perception framework can help teachers align social media use with professional development goals. The findings highlight the need for educators to address both the benefits and risks of social media in physical education teacher education programs. Future research should include larger samples and diverse groups such as in-service teachers and university-based educators to validate and expand the model.