Socialization Into and Through Doctoral Programs in Adapted Physical Activity.

This study examined doctoral students' occupational socialization experiences in U.S. adapted physical activity doctoral programs. Twenty-eight doctoral students were recruited and participated in semistructured, in-depth interviews. Interview transcripts were analyzed through a collaborative qualitative analysis, which resulted in the construction of four themes: (a) early socialization experiences foster a positive, but limited impression of physical education and physical activity; (b) doctoral education is pursued to have a greater impact on the disability community; (c) relationships with socializing agents provide support during doctoral education; and (d) coursework and learning in the community facilitate preparation for faculty roles. The findings indicate that there are several similarities between doctoral students and their peers in other doctoral degree programs. Some of these similarities point to issues that may concern prospective doctoral students and faculty members in adapted physical activity terminal degree programs.

Mindfulness, Contact Anxiety, and Attitudes Toward Students With Visual Impairments Among Certified Adapted Physical Educators.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between interpersonal/intrapersonal mindfulness, contact anxiety, and attitudes toward students with visual impairments among certified adapted physical educators. Participants included 115 certified adapted physical educators who completed a 31-item online survey, composed of a 10-item demographic questionnaire, a 14-item mindfulness in teaching scale, a four-item intergroup anxiety scale, and a three-item attitude scale. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that intrapersonal mindfulness was a negative predictor of contact anxiety (ß = -0.26, p = .007) and contact anxiety negatively predicted attitudes (ß = -0.22, p = .02). A mediation analysis revealed that intrapersonal mindfulness had an indirect effect on attitudes through contact anxiety, b = 0.09, SE = 0.05, 95% confidence interval [0.006, 0.22]. Collectively, both intrapersonal and interpersonal mindfulness appear to be responsible for the formation of attitudes, but with different underlying processes involved.

The Relationships Among Perceived Organization Support, Resilience, Perceived Mattering, Emotional Exhaustion, and Job Satisfaction in Adapted Physical Educators.

Although much has been learned about the workplace experiences of physical education teachers, less is known about the unique experiences of adapted physical educators (APEs). Grounded in role socialization theory, the purpose of this study was to understand the relationships among perceived organizational support, resilience, perceived mattering, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction in APEs. The participants included 237 APEs from the United States, who completed an online survey. The primary data analyses included confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The final structural model was a good fit for the data, χ2(199) = 327.25, p < .001, χ2/df = 1.64; root-mean-square error of approximation = .052 (90% confidence interval [.042, .062], p = .354); standardized root-mean-square residual = .050; nonnormed fit index = .959; comparative-fit index = .964. The results of this study highlight the importance of developing a workplace environment in which APEs feel supported in developing perceptions of matter, reducing emotional exhaustion, and improving job satisfaction.

Understanding the Inclusiveness of Integrated Physical Education From the Perspectives of Adults With Visual Impairments.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of individuals with visual impairment toward inclusion and the inclusiveness of their integrated physical education experiences. A retrospective, qualitative-description research approach was used, and 10 adults (age 20-35 years) with visual impairments acted as the participants. The data sources included one-on-one telephone interviews and reflective interview notes. A theoretical thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data. Three interrelated themes were identified: "I always felt like a misfit": a missing sense of belonging, acceptance, and value; "I felt very excluded, very pushed to the side": lack of access to activity participation; and "Even though it sucked, I do agree with it": preference for integrated settings. Collectively, the participants recalled that experiencing feelings of inclusion during physical education were rare. Despite this, they expressed a perceived importance of being integrated in contexts with their peers.

Socialization of Preservice Adapted Physical Educators: Influence of Teacher Education.

Occupational socialization theory has been used to understand the recruitment, education, and socialization of physical education teachers for nearly 40 yr. It has, however, only recently been applied to the study of adapted physical education teachers. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to understand the socialization of preservice teachers in an adapted physical education teacher education graduate-level program. Participants included 17 purposefully selected preservice teachers (5 male and 12 female) enrolled in a yearlong graduate-level adapted physical education teacher education program. Qualitative data were collected using interviews, reflective journaling, and field notes taken during teaching and coursework observations. Data analysis resulted in the construction of 3 themes: overcoming contextual challenges to meet learners' needs, the importance of field-based teacher education, and coping with the challenges of marginalization. The discussion connects to and advances occupational socialization theory in adapted physical education and suggests that professional socialization may have a more profound influence on preservice adapted physical education teachers than on their physical education counterparts.

Perceived Workplace Experiences of Adapted Physical Educators and Physical Educators.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the workplace experiences of physical education and adapted physical education teachers while also considering biological sex. Role socialization theory was used as a guiding lens. Method: Participants included 653 teachers (women = 382) who taught physical education (n = 420) or adapted physical education (n = 233). Five instruments were used to examine workplace experiences regarding: (a) marginalization and isolation, (b) two elements of perceived mattering, (c) three role stressors, (d) resilience, and (e) emotional exhaustion. Group comparisons were analyzed using a 2 × 2 (discipline x biological sex) factorial MANCOVA while including years of teaching experience as a covariate. Results: No significant interaction effect between teacher group and biological sex was detected; however, there were significant main effects of teacher group, F(9,640) = 19.49, p < .001; Wilk's Λ = .79, partial-η2 = .22, and of biological sex, F(9,640) = 2.81, p < .01; Wilk's Λ = .96, partial-η2 = .04, on the dependent variables. Significant follow-up univariate tests showed that the adapted physical education teachers perceived less marginalization, less isolation, more perceived mattering, and less emotional exhaustion than the physical education teachers. Women from both groups felt significantly more role overload when compared to the men. Conclusion: Collectively, these findings both relate to and extend role socialization theory in explaining how adapted physical education teachers are socialized through the workplace in comparison to their physical education counterparts. Practical implications for preservice and inservice teacher preparation and future research directions are discussed.