“It’s Like at the Theater, You’re an Actor”: Physical Education Teachers’ Surface Acting During Critical Incidents Experienced in “Difficult” Contexts

Purpose : This study aimed to examine the surface acting strategy (i.e., dissonance between the emotions felt and those expressed) implemented by physical education teachers during critical incidents in “difficult” contexts. Method : Twenty-two physical education teachers told five critical incidents experienced throughout a school year ( N = 110) and participated in an end-of-year interview. Data analysis and representation were conducted to identify and illustrate various enacted forms of surface acting. Results : The analysis revealed 70 emergences of surface acting out of the 110 critical incidents collected (63.6%). These 70 critical incidents included four enacted forms of surface acting, in which the valence of the emotional experience and type of dissonance intersected: (a) masking positive emotions, (b) amplifying positive emotions, (c) masking negative emotions, and (d) amplifying negative emotions. Four portrait vignettes are presented to illustrate each of these forms. Discussion/Conclusion : The results enrich the conceptualization of emotional labor in a situational approach and illuminate the daily challenges experienced by physical education teachers in “difficult” contexts.