Job satisfaction of sport and physical activity instructors in Spain according to gender and age

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which sport and physical activity instructors are  satisfied with their working conditions and performance, and how levels of job satisfaction varied across  different genders and ages of sport and physical activity instructors. Sport and physical activity instructors  (N=600) (ultimately N=545; males=356, females=189), from Spain formed the target group for the survey. Key results indicate that sport and physical activity instructors experienced job satisfaction due to their  relationship with their colleagues, the feeling that their occupation was valued by their peers, the job itself, the  level of autonomy and the level of their performance. However, they experienced dissatisfaction with the lack of training and promotional opportunities, the financial remuneration, the environmental conditions and lack of personal safety. A major finding was that sport and physical activity instructors who experienced higher
levels of job satisfaction were males aged 45 years or older. Despite the fact that the results revealed that sport and physical activity instructors were generally satisfied with their jobs, further research needs to examine ways to increase job satisfaction by reducing negative elements.

Key words: Job satisfaction; Physical activity; Sport instructor; Gender; Age.