Developing a Future Teachers' Club to Facilitate Physical Education Teacher Recruitment: Do You Hear the Call?

Abstract

The past decade has seen declining enrollments in physical education teacher education, which has contributed to university program closures. Some of the challenges leading to these declines are related to how the physical education profession recruits and socializes new members. Traditionally, recruitment has been a passive process whereby prospective teachers find their own way into physical education. But teacher education faculty members and inservice teachers need to take a more active role. Guided by occupational socialization theory, this article reviews how high school teachers can get involved in recruitment by organizing a Future Physical Education Teachers of America club. The article describes the development of a club, as well as three interrelated goals focused on education, visitation and teaching practice. It concludes by discussing how working together to actively recruit future professionals into the physical education can lead to a more favorable future for the discipline.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Greg Bert

Greg Bert is a physical education teacher at A. G. West Black Hills High School in Tumwater, WA. K. Andrew R. Richards ([email protected]) is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Urbana, IL.