Influence of acculturation and professional socialization on student teachers' beliefs about teaching physical education

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of student teachers’ (ST's) acculturation and professional socialization on their beliefs about teaching PE. Specifically, ST's beliefs about teaching PE and how ST's acculturation and professional socialization influence ST's beliefs were investigated. For this study, occupational socialization theory was employed as a theoretical framework to examine student teachers’ beliefs. Thirteen STs participated in this study and data collection was undertaken during their final teaching practicum. Text descriptions were analysed and collected with the intention of gaining an overall grasp of STs’ beliefs. All the text response data were analysed inductively in a step-wise approach. The results of this study suggested that STs’ beliefs about PE teaching are influenced by how they view the purpose of PE lessons and their experiences with the level of student engagement during such lessons. It was also concluded that STs continue to believe that it is important for PE to provide students with enjoyment and the opportunity to socialise and acquire positive values. Insights were also observed that clarified the impact of classroom atmosphere on student engagement level and attitudes during PE lessons in influencing ST's pedagogical practices. While the study is situated in the Japanese context, findings from this study have useful international relevance.