Comparing Workplace Experiences of Physical Education Teachers and Physical Education Teacher Education Faculty Members

Purpose : This study aimed to understand differences in workplace experiences based on occupation (i.e., physical education, physical education teacher education) and gender (i.e., male, female). Methods : Survey data were used to evaluate perceptions of mattering, resilience, marginalization, isolation, role stressors, and emotional exhaustion among physical educators ( n = 421) and teacher educators ( n = 286). Results : Factorial analyses of variance showed that teacher educators reported higher perceived mattering and less marginality and isolation than in-service teachers. Teachers reported higher role ambiguity and emotional exhaustion, and teacher educators reported more role conflict and overload. Female faculty members reported the highest role overload among the groups, and male physical education teachers felt more overloaded than did female teachers. Women reported less resilience. Discussion : The results provide initial empirical evidence that higher education contexts may be perceived as less stressful, which supports the implied notion of in-service teachers’ washing up to higher education roles.