The  world’s  leaders  set  goals  for  the  future  of  the  global  community (Transforming our world : the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development),  goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seeks to ensure “inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (UN General Assembly, 2015).  UNESCO (2015) and other development partners are proposed that by 2030, all governments ensure that all learners are taught by qualified, professionally-trained, motivated and well-supported teachers, who use inclusive, gender-responsive and participatory pedagogical approaches to ensure effective learning outcomes (UNESCO Position Paper on Education Post-2015, 2014). Facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities, this generation requires new capacities. Whether in traditional or more entrepreneurial work environments, young people need to collaborate with others from different disciplines and cultures, in a way that solves complex problems and creates economic and social value (OECD, 2016a). Good-quality education is defined as equipping people with the skills, knowledge and attitudes to: obtain decent work; live together as active citizens nationally and globally; understand and prepare for a world in which environmental degradation and climate change present a threat to sustainable living and livelihoods; and understand their rights (UNESCO, and UNICEF, 2013).The effectiveness of professional development in preparing teachers is their ability to respond to different communities of students, potentially through different teaching strategies (OECD, 2016a).

Physical education is the most effective means of providing all children and youth with the skills, attitudes, values, knowledge and understanding for lifelong participation in society (The Declaration of Berlin, 2013).

Teachers are a key element in a child’s learning environment (UNICEF, 2013) and the key role teachers play for societal change (Education for Change - Change for Education, 2015). Teachers  often  serve  as  examples  and  sources  of  inspiration  to  their  students (OECD, 2016b).

Teachers are encouraged to choose contents, situations, materials and a methodology to raise awareness and create learning opportunities. Physical education teachers’ education underlines the important role of Quality Physical Education in promoting individuals’ rounded development, particularly in terms of inclusive practices, current societal changes related to health, and the importance of encouraging participation in a healthy, active lifestyle (QPE Guidelines for policy makers, UNESCO, 2015).

Teacher’s quality should be an overall concept that comprises not only knowledge and skills, but also personal qualities - such as respect, care, courage, empathy, and personal values, attitudes, identity, beliefs, etc. – making quite evident the tight link between quality and teacher professional identity (Tateo, 2012). Identity is a socially and culturally constructed self that is formed during the life course by lived experiences and by talking about these experiences with oneself (inner speech) and with others (Swennen, Volman & Essen, 2008). Professional identity as social identity is one of the aspects of individual self-concept that is constructed in the social context through dialogue between self and external reality (Hermans & Dimaggio, 2007). From teacher’s perspective, this can be characterized by the sentence “You teach by who you are” (ICET, 2008). Metaphors are the mental structures reflecting individuals’ self-related beliefs, emotions and thoughts by means of which they understand and act within their worlds (Eren, Tekinarslan (2013). Metaphors reveal teachers’ educational values, beliefs and principles (Gillis, Johnson, 2002) and mirror teachers grow as professionals.

The aim of the study is to explore differences in the physical education pre-service and in-service teachers’ professional identity and understanding of quality of physical education.

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