Coping with Stress and Burnout in the Physical Education Teaching Profession

Abstract

The article describes a study of coping strategies of Physical Education (PE) teachers and their role in the process of burning out. It highlights the role of gender differences in coping strategies. Female PE teachers apply mostly coping strategies like Fighting, Social support, wishful thinking, alleviation of outcomes, and Assuming responsibility, actions following the plan. They use the least likely Distancing. Male PE teachers frequently use the strategies Concentration on the task, actions following the plan, and Fighting. Successively, they use Accepting responsibility, and the least likely Reduction of tension. Some strategies derived in the research effectively cope with burnout in the PE teaching occupation and others are ineffective and may even lead to a depersonalized treatment of students.

Keywords

• burnout
• coping strategies
• pe teachers
• gender