Generational influences on the occupational socialization of physical education teachers

The purpose of this study was to examine how perceived generational differences influenced the occupational socialization of Korean physical education (PE) teachers. A qualitative case study was conducted with 30 secondary PE teachers (22 male and eight female) representing three generational groups—Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. Data were collected through two rounds of semi-structured interviews and analyzed inductively using within-case and cross-case analyses. Findings revealed that teachers’ formative experiences commonly fostered enjoyment and perceived competence in sport, motivating their entry into the profession, yet the content and pedagogical features of their PE experiences differed markedly across generations. Student teaching served as a pivotal experience in professional socialization for all groups, although the pedagogical focus of teacher education programs reflected the educational discourses of their respective generational eras. Generational differences also emerged in teachers’ role perceptions, shaped by the interplay between formative experiences and professional socialization. Finally, teachers employed distinct strategies—strategic compliance, generational bandwagoning, and intergenerational mediation—to navigate generational differences. These findings suggest that socialization is not a unidirectional process dictated by generational hierarchy, but a dynamic and relational process continuously reconstructed through intergenerational interactions.