Elementary physical education teachers’ perceptions of socializing agents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore elementary physical education teachers’ perceptions toward prominent socializing agents (e.g. students, administrators, and parents/guardians) and related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 15 elementary physical education teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. Using conventional qualitative content analysis techniques, these themes were identified: (a) teachers' perceptions of working through the pandemic, (b) teachers' perceptions of parental/guardian support through the pandemic, (c) teachers' perceptions of parental/guardian support through the pandemic, and (d) thinking beyond the pandemic. Participant data highlights that the pandemic's impact on elementary physical education teachers was not uniform across all experiences. Instead, teachers’ experiences through the pandemic were distilled across a continuum. This study offers additional evidence on key socializing agents’ impact on physical educators and discusses future practical and research-based considerations for the field.