Teachers Are Making a Difference: Understanding the Influence of Favorite Teachers

Authors

Mark A. Smith, University of Northern ColoradoFollow
Karen Schmidt, University of Northern ColoradoFollow

Abstract

Using the theoretical framework of occupational socialization, the purpose of this study was to examine preservice physical education teachers’ beliefs and values of teachers and teaching through analysis and interpretation of favorite teacher narratives. One hundred and eighty six preservice physical education teachers’ narratives were collected and analyzed using open and axial coding (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). The qualities and characteristics identified through analysis were organized into seven inclusive sub-categories of favorite teacher characteristics and abilities and were articulated into three central themes, described as Pay it Forward, Caring in Teaching, and Motivated to Learn. The findings suggest that understanding favorite teacher influences on preservice teachers provides insights into maximizing the impact of physical education teacher education programs.

Keywords

Caring, Physical Education, Preservice Teachers, Teacher Socialization, Qualitative Research

Publication Date

4-30-2012

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2012.1778

Recommended APA Citation

Smith, M. A., & Schmidt, K. (2012). Teachers Are Making a Difference: Understanding the Influence of Favorite Teachers. The Qualitative Report, 17(18), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2012.1778