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The increase in teacher attrition has been substantial in U.S. public schools over the past three decades. The impact this trend has on student learning is pronounced, especially in high-poverty schools. Minimal research has focused on the resilient teachers who stay in these settings and the personal, professional, and biographical influences that guide that decision. This review of literature, guided by resilience theory, occupational socialization of physical education teachers, and research on poverty, attempts to demonstrate the importance of recruiting, training, and retaining resilient physical education teachers in high-poverty schools.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the organizational context within high-poverty schools influences physical education (PE) teacher resilience. This study used an exploratory multiple case study design grounded in resilience theory. School administrators can create environments that either support or inhibit teachers’ attitudes about their jobs by the organizational structures and cultures they create in schools and through the relationships they foster. Because teacher attrition has a negative influence on the educational system, especially in high-poverty schools, providing resources to build resilience in teachers is critical to their professional success and development. Although literature exists related to PE teacher attrition, little work has focused on the reasons that they may remain in their role as a PE teacher. Understanding the facilitators and barriers to PE teacher resilience may aid in alleviating PE teacher attrition in high-poverty schools. The teacher participants ( n = 10) and school administrators ( n = 4) were chosen from six schools (five elementary schools and two middle schools) from two (one urban, one rural) high-poverty school districts (identified by having at least 90% of students eligible for free and reduced price lunch) in the Midwestern US. Two main themes surfaced regarding teachers’ resilience capacity: (a) school culture – the inconsistency in perceived leadership and support; and (b) elevated teacher turnover.

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