Physical education teachers’ perceptions of professional socialization

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine factors affecting positive professional socialization of physical education (PE) teachers. The participants were one elementary and two middle school PE teachers. Data were collected through field notes during passive participant observations, two semi-structured formal interviews and informal interviews, and document analysis of autographical posters. Thematic analysis was employed to examine data. The triangulation of data and member checks were utilized to establish trustworthiness. Results showed that the three PE teachers strengthened their teaching perceptions during professional socialization. The following key themes were identified in the study: impact from physical education teacher education faculty, positive experiences in method courses, positive experiences in early field experiences and student teaching, and close supervision from classroom teachers and university supervisors. The findings of the study suggested that different socializing events played a significant role in shaping positive perspectives during early field experiences, physical education teacher education courses, and student teaching.