Occupational socialization theory and the lived experiences of adapted physical educators

Occupational socialization theory is a dialectical framework for studying socialization into and through the teaching profession. While it has been applied to the study of physical education teachers for nearly 40 years, only recently has it been applied to the study of adapted physical education (APE) teachers. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the reader to occupational socialization theory, drawing on both key tenets developed through physical education research and the emerging scholarship focused specifically on adapted physical educators. Potential differences between the socialization experiences of APE teachers and their generalist counterparts are highlighted. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research related to the socialization of adapted physical educators as well as a discussion of the importance of this work for both APE teachers and the children with whom they work.