A Grounded Theory Approach to the Mid- to Long-Term Teacher Certification Exam Preparation Process of Post-Military Returnees Majoring in Physical Education

This study qualitatively explored the mid-to-long-term examination preparation and temptation-overcoming strategies of nine post-military returning physical education majors preparing for the secondary school teacher appointment examination. Data collected via in-depth interviews were structurally analyzed through the axial coding method of the grounded theory approach, which successfully yielded a total of 6 main categories and 13 subcategories. The findings revealed that the awareness of academic lacunae and mandatory certification requirements (causal conditions), interlocked with the pressure of specialized practical test events and institutional role conflicts (contextual conditions), precipitated the central phenomenon of the "pressure of self-regulation and sustained routine formation." Although mundane temptations, limited willpower, and physical or financial strains (intervening conditions) acted as deterrents, the participants successfully managed these crises by executing environmental containment, intrinsic motivation, and proactive investment (interactional strategies). Consequently, this dynamic process culminated in the stabilization of sustainable exam routines and the successful embodiment of a professional prospective teacher identity (consequences), thereby providing foundational data for teacher-education institutions to construct multi-dimensional support networks.