Exploring the job satisfaction of late career secondary physical education teachers

As teachers move toward the end of their careers, understanding the experiences that help them derive satisfaction from their work has implications for helping them stay engaged in teaching. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the job satisfaction of late career physical education teachers. Jessica, Sandy, and Bill were later career physical education teachers (17-28 years of experience) who served as participants. All three had been colleagues at Harrisburg Middle School for 13 years. Data were collected using a job satisfaction graphing technique and qualitative interviews, and were analyzed using inductive analysis and constant comparison. Data analysis resulted in three themes related to the interactions teachers experienced with people in the school: 'the kids and control,' 'our administration and marginalization,' and 'my fellow coworkers.' Each theme related to both positive and negative appraisals of the teachers' work. Implications for practice and future research are noted.