The Effect of Biofeedback Training on the Anxiety of Physical Education Teachers

Background: Stress and anxiety are inevitable parts of the teaching profession. Therefore, it is necessary to learn different coping strategies for managing stress and anxiety (Dick & Wagner, 2001; Wilson & Hall, 2002). One effective coping strategy for managing anxiety is biofeedback (BFB) training.

Aim: The main purpose of this research was to examine the usefulness of the Learning-Modification-Application (LMA) approach as a tool for physical education (PE) teachers to cope with their anxiety.

Method: A total of 57 PE teachers, age 25-59 years (M=40.5±9.02), volunteered to participate in the current study. The participants were graduate (M.Ed.) students at an academic college in the southern part of Israel. The participants were randomly divided into three groups: LMA (n=20), BFB relaxation games (n=22); Control (n=15). Two questionnaires were used to measure anxiety: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI: Spielberger et al., 1970) and Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT: Martens et al., 1990). The research protocol included 21 sessions, each lasting 60 minutes.

Results: The results of this research showed that practice with the LMA approach has a positive effect on state and trait anxiety. It was found that PE teachers who practice with the LMA approach experienced a stronger effect on state anxiety and sport competition anxiety compared to PE teachers practicing BFB relaxation games only.

Discussion and Conclusion: Practical implications for improving coping skills of PE teachers with their anxiety are discussed. Future studies should investigate the effect of the LMA approach on anxiety among teachers in different disciplines.