C. H. McCloy Lecture: reflections on socialization into physical education: an intergenerational perspective

Charles H. McCloy was an icon in our profession. He was not only a leading researcher in the area of anthropometrics and tests and measurements, but he was a leading advocate for physical education (PE) in our country. McCloy's advocacy ties nicely into the authors' belief that the socialization process has a profound impact on the state of PE in our country. Grounded in nearly 40 years of research related to teacher socialization, the purpose of this manuscript is to provide an overview of the socialization of PE teachers across the phases of acculturation, professional socialization, and organizational socialization. Research pertaining to each of the phases is reviewed and then connected to an intergenerational comparison of the authors' autobiographical experiences in PE. The article concludes with propositions and implications about the socialization process and recommendations for future research.