Recycling and resistance to change in physical education: the informal recruitment of physical education teachers in schools

Purpose: Physical education (PE) teachers’ interactions with students were explored to examine self- selection for PE teaching as a career option during school. Method: Semi – structured life story interviews were conducted with 29 PE teachers at different career stages. Complementing occupational socialisation, Bourdieu’s habitus, capital, field and practice were adopted as thinking tools to inform thematic analysis. Results: 3 key themes were identified: a) Acceptance into the inner sanctum based on physical competence, effort and enthusiasm for the traditional curriculum, b) Opportunities provided to students accepted into the inner sanctum, and c) Outside the inner sanctum: Mismatched habitus and self-selection for PE teaching. Conclusion: Students exchanged competence, effort and enthusiasm in the traditional curriculum for acceptance and opportunities to encourage self – selection for teaching PE. Without acceptance, individuals experienced challenges gaining career support. Dominated by a homogenous group resistant to change, PE needs independent careers information to promote change through heterogeneity.