Workplace experiences of physical educators with and without National Board Certification

Abstract

Physical educators tend to be perceived as teachers of a non-core, ancillary subject, meaning that they often contend with marginalization. In previous research, physical education National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) reported enhanced self-efficacy and confidence in their teaching with reduced feelings of marginality. Nevertheless, direct comparisons between the perceived workplace experiences of physical education NBCTs and non-NBCTs have not yet been made. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the workplace experiences of physical education NBCTs and non-NBCTs while accounting for teaching level. A recruitment email was sent to 500 physical education NBCTs and 420 physical education non-NBCTs. Using a case–control design, 74 NBCTs were selected and matched with 74 non-NBCTs. A 2 × 2 factorial MANCOVA test, a univariate ANCOVA test, and an independent-samples t-test were used in data analysis. Results indicated that the main effect for NBCT status was significant. Specifically, NBCTs felt less isolated than their non-NBCTs counterparts. NBCTs generally perceived that they mattered more than non-NBCTs, especially at the secondary level. Additionally, teachers with NBCT certification reported higher levels of role conflict and role overload than those participants without NBCT status. This study highlights important connections between NBCT status and teachers’ workplace experiences that both relate to and extend previous research. Future scholars should consider seeking to understand the mechanisms that underlie reported differences between NBCTs and non-NBCTs.