How One Exceptional Teacher Navigated Her Working Environment as the Teacher of a Marginal Subject

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze how one exceptional elementary physical education teacher navigated her working environment as the teacher of a marginal subject. Structuration Theory (Giddens, 1984) was used to make meaning of how the teacher functioned within her school community allowing her to remain motivated and effective. Data collection involved approximately 300 hr in the school setting involving observation and field notes, interviews, and critical incident (Flanagan, 1954) reports. Data trustworthiness was established through triangulation, member checks and a peer debriefer. Inductive analysis (Huberman & Miles, 1994) of the data generated themes pertaining to Structuration Theory. Analysis revealed that the teacher navigated marginality using four strategies. Implications for teacher preparation are discussed.