Preservice Physical Education Teachers’ Resistance to Change: The Importance of Occupational Socialization Experiences

Abstract

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate preservice Physical Education (PE) teachers’ resistance to change during their school practicum based on their occupational orientation profiles (between-subject factors: type of sport experience and role orientation in teaching) after controlling their self-esteem. (2) Methods: 235 preservice PE teachers (male = 118), undergraduate students at the University of Athens, Greece, completed the resistance to change scale and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale online. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was conducted to establish the between-subject factor differences in the four dimensions of the resistance to change scale. (3) Results: The results showed that the preservice PE teachers with experience in individual sports reported higher levels of emotional response during practicum compared to those involved in team sports. No other differences proved statistically significant. The results of the present study should be used as a point of reference for shaping the discussion about the concept of resistance to change in teacher education programs.