Coping Strategies and Readjustment of Priorities in Response to Cumulative Strain Among US PETE Faculty Members

Physical education teacher education faculty members navigate complex and often competing expectations related to their roles which can contribute to sustained emotional exhaustion and burnout. Recently, further attention has been given to the ways in which employees recalibrate their engagement with work in response to ongoing strain; however, little is known about how this phenomenon manifests within physical education teacher education. This qualitative study explored how faculty members in the US experience and respond to the strain they experience as part of their professional responsibilities. Findings indicate that faculty members experienced cumulative emotional exhaustion associated with role overload, blurred work–life boundaries, and sociopolitical pressures within academic environments. Participants described engaging in adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies, including boundary setting, selective disengagement from non-evaluative labor, and a recalibration of professional priorities.