An examination of "wash-out" and workplace conditions of beginning physical education teachers.(Report)

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to: (1) determine the extent of wash-out in two beginning physical education teachers; and (2) determine the workplace conditions these novice teachers experienced that may have influenced the extent of wash-out for them. The interactive factors influencing workplace conditions for physical education teachers outlined by Lawson (1989) provided the framework by which to examine wash-out in these teachers. Results showed that these teachers experienced wash-out from pre-service to their induction years in several areas, but actually showed improvement in other areas. Factors that may have contributed to wash-out included a lack of facilities and equipment in the start of their first year of teaching, lack of prestige and respect for physical education, a particular subculture of students, and the teachers' desire for student acceptance and enthusiasm. Workplace conditions that may have inhibited wash-out were being able to team teach with someone from the same PETE program, a new gym and equipment toward the end of their first teaching year, support from their principal, perceived control over content and teaching methods, and being proactive in soliciting assistance.

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As beginning teachers move from being students in teacher education programs to teachers in schools, they may experience "reality shock" (Veenman, 1984), in which their teaching situations are vastly different from those in their pre-service practicum settings. While physical education teacher education (PETE) programs emphasize student learning as an outcome of physical education instruction, many school administrators, faculty, parents, students, or even fellow physical education teachers do not hold that view (O'Sullivan, 1989; Stroot, Faucette, & Schwager, 1993). Additionally, while PETE students often work with fellow students or cooperating teachers in preparing and teaching lessons, novice elementary physical education teachers are often isolated from other teachers (e.g., O'Sullivan, 1989; Stroot et al., 1993).

One consequence of this reality shock may be that beginning teachers return to traditional means of teaching. Zeichner and Tabachnik (1981) propose three reasons for this consequence. First, teacher education programs have a weak impact on pre-service teachers and do not permanently impact their beliefs and practices. Second, while claiming to promote and teach more inventive means of education, teacher education programs actually support more traditional instructional methods. Third, the beliefs and skills beginning teachers have learned from their teacher education program are actually "washed out" by the difficult circumstances they encounter in their induction years. Little is known about the factors that contribute to or inhibit "wash-out".

A Framework for Examining Wash-out

The interactive factors influencing workplace conditions for physical education teachers outlined by Lawson (1989) provide a helpful framework by which to examine the wash-out effect. Work conditions have already been shown to be related to burnout in Israeli physical education teachers (Fejgin, Ephraty, & Ben-Sira, 1995). By examining wash-out, or the lack thereof, in light of Lawson's framework, we can get an idea of elements in the school workplace that relate to wash-out. Four categories of elements are proposed to affect the socialization of physical education teachers and their teaching practices: political and economic, organizational, situational, and personal-social. We will describe each of these categories in turn, providing examples of how these might inhibit or contribute to wash-out.