The development of value for relatedness within a secondary physical educator: a socialization perspective

Student Union Building, Ballroom C

A significant body of literature exists around motivation in physical education (PE) and Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE). Self-Determination Theory (SDT) posits that when the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are fulfilled within students, they are more motivated (Harvey et al., 2017). Much SDT research has focused on the needs of autonomy and competence, but much less attention has been given to the psychological need of relatedness (Van den Berghe et al., 2014). Washburn et al. (2019) offered that socialization experiences influence the way physical educators think and act. Following this, the purpose of this study is to employ both SDT and Occupational Socialization Theory (OST) to understand how a highly student-centered physical educator came to construct a teaching philosophy focused on relatedness with students through a basic interpretive design. We aim to enhance the understanding of the psychological need of relatedness and the impact of socialization on in-service physical educators.