A Study on the Emotional Labor Environment and Quality of Life of Sports Instructors at Elementary Schools

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the emotional labor environment of sports instructors at elementary schools in Jeonbuk and the quality of life of them to figure out the difficulties faced by the sports instructors in the field in order to present improvement plans. Method: Specifically, the following results were derived from conducting in-depth interviews with sports instruc-tors of Jeonbuk by using a semi-structured questionnaire from November 2020 until December 2020 as the purposeful sampling method. Results: First, most of the elementary school sports instructors were temporary workers for the term of less than one year, and they complained of serious emotional labor in their discussion with school officials and consumers in the processes of contract renewal, opening classes for additional sports activities such as after school classes, and notification of contract renewal. Second, the sports instructor hiring method dependent to the discretion of school officials and the form of employment with a period of employment shorter than one year were leading to the lack of expertise in physical education of sport instructors and the necessity for sport instructors to have a sideline for livelihood. Third, although the role of sports instructor is assisting home room teachers in physical education classes, the roles and work of sports instructors were not clearly identified, and sports instructor were leading actual physical education activities. Fourth, although sports instructors had the status of instructors, they were performing the work of teachers, but there was no study space (desk, computer, chair, etc.), locker room, or resting space for sports instructors and sports instructors were seriously discriminated in terms of welfare. Conclusion: In particular, during physical education classes at nearby schools to which they were dispatched once or twice a week, sports instructors were taking a rest in their private car between classes.