Individual differences, perceived task characteristics, and preferences for teaching and coaching

One hundred ninety-two undergraduate physical education students participat ed in the study of the influence of individual differences, group, and task factors on respondents' preferences for teaching or coaching. The individu al difference factors were gender, managerial potential (Gough, 1984), and sex role attributes (Spence & Helmreich, 1986). The group and task differen ces were measured by a specially developed scale that was factor analyzed t o yield six factors: job status, job significance, job variety and control, job identity, ease of discipline, ease of motivation Subgroup analyses sho wed that men preferred more to coach than women did, and women preferred mo le to teach than men did. Men and women perceived greater job variety in co aching and greater control in teaching. The genders did not differ in manag erial motivation or in any of the other perceived characteristics of the te aching and coaching roles. Finally, preference for teaching or coaching was influenced by gender perceived ease of motivating students and athletes, a nd perceived job variety. These results were discussed in relation to exist ing literature, and future research directions are identified.