The role of marginalisation and role stressors in physical education teachers’ perceived mattering

Previous research has revealed that physical education (PE) teachers and their subject are often perceived as undervalued. However, examining the contributing factors and relationships to improve this situation is critical. This study focused on the associations among PE teachers’ perceptions of marginalisation, perceived mattering, and role stress factors. We recruited 208 PE teachers from various regions of Turkey, with a mean age of 36.67 ± 8.18 and a mean teaching experience of 11.34 ± 8.22 years. The data were collected using the Physical Education – Marginalisation and Isolation Scale, the Perceived Mattering Questionnaire – Physical Education, and the Teacher Role Stressors Survey. The findings indicate that role stress factors do not directly predict perceived mattering but exacerbate feelings of marginalisation, which, in turn, negatively predict perceived mattering. The results shed light on the intricate relationships among various factors contributing to marginalisation and suggest potential avenues for improvement. Our findings demonstrate that role stress factors positively and directly predict marginalisation, which, in turn, is negatively related to both teacher mattering and PE mattering. The results also reveal that role stress factors significantly and indirectly predict perceived mattering through the mediating role of marginalisation. The model results indicate that the marginalisation of teachers is a significant predictor of both PE mattering and teacher mattering, and it plays a mediating role in the relationship between role stress factors and teachers’ perceived mattering.