Background and Purpose. Role theory seeks to explain how individuals act and how they expect others to act based on social expectations for the roles they play (Hindin, 2007). When individuals hold differing performance expectations, role stressors (such as role conflict) are likely to occur (Richards, 2015). Iannucci and MacPhail (2017) identified a need to better understand the realities of enacting dual teaching positions within a school, as different performance expectations across the roles can lead to conflict and stress. Through the lens of role theory, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Teaching Multiple School Subjects Role Conflict Scale (TMSS-RCS), an instrument to measure inter-role conflict between the roles of teaching physical education and another school subject(s).
Methods. The 16 items included in the TMSS-RCS were developed through a six-step process recommended by Weiss, Bolter, and Kipp (2014). The scale validation process was conducted in a two-phase approach that involved exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Participants included 259 post-primary physical education teachers (157 female, 99 male, 3 other) in Ireland who concurrently taught another school subject(s).
Results. EFA identified a stable three-factor solution, including Schedule Conflict, Energy Expenditure, and Status Conflict. CFA supported this solution, χ2(24) = 47.16, p< .001, NNFI= .950, CFI= .967, SRMR= .069, RMSEA= .069. The validated scale correlated appropriately with conceptually similar and dissimilar constructs.
Conclusions. The TMSS-RCS provides the means to measure and understand the extent to which teachers experience role conflict when teaching physical education and another subject(s) in hopes of limiting the negative effects on teachers’ careers. With this understanding we can begin to acknowledge and address it in teacher education programs. For example, the inclusion of opportunities to prepare preservice teachers to negotiate expected challenges related to role conflict.
• Empowering practitioners and supporting professional learning , • Transformative learning and teaching in physical education and sports pedagogy
