Being an early-career teacher–researcher in physical education: a narrative inquiry

This paper describes my practitioner inquiry as a newly qualified teacher, initially used form of teacher learning, but ultimately became the reason I remained in physical education (PE) teaching profession. In Scotland, early-career PE teachers are encouraged to embody role teacher–researcher and pursue Career-Long Professional Learning (CLPL) opportunities that nourish creative enquiring dispositions. However, it is also understood failure integrate into political school structures, successfully managing workload relationships, negotiating curricular content aims becoming competent classroom manager can lead dissatisfaction attrition. Supported by critical friends, use narrative explore contexts people shaped learning during initial years profession factors contributing professional identity. Through this process, began understand knowledge landscape an arena contested stories bump, intertwine converge. understanding was important for me feel comfortable decision remain These findings reflect capacity growth inherent experience potential sustaining identities via research-based inquiry. Those within Physical Education Teacher (PETE) should consider application identity work encourage on personal, social, contextual aspects construction their lives, with hope they effectively navigate shifting twenty-first century PE.