The relationship between occupational socialization factors and in-service physical educators' reported use of sport education.

This article focuses on how occupational socialization stages predict in-service physical education teachers’ reported implementation of the Sport Education (SE) model, a student-centered pedagogical approach designed to enhance authentic sport experiences in schools. Surveying 65 teachers trained in SE during their physical education teacher education (PETE) programs, the study identified three versions of SE use—full, modified, and light—with professional socialization (experiences during PETE) being the only significant predictor of SE implementation. Teachers commonly implemented features such as formal competition, team affiliation, and seasons, while student-centered components like student roles, record keeping, and culminating events were less frequently used. The findings suggest that high-quality PETE programs play a crucial role in facilitating the transfer of SE practices into professional teaching, whereas acculturation (prior orientations) and organizational socialization (school environment) had less direct influence.