HAS THE PANDEMIC CHANGED THE CULTURAL PROFILE OF THE YOUNGEST SPORTS TEACHERS?

Restrictive measures, protection measures such as wearing masks, remote work, all meant to limit the explosive growth in the incidence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), have changed people's habits, lifestyles and professional activities. These unexpected and turbulent times have also affected several sectors, such as culture and education, which had to adapt and adjust in order to continue to provide services, but within some limits. Having as background the results of a previous case study developed between 2017 and 2019, this paper aims to analyse whether the cultural features of the newest teachers in the field of sport and physical education science have changed under the impact of the pandemic. Using four of the cultural dimensions of Hofstede's model, an instrument validated at national level in Romania, as well as data collected in the 2020-2021 school year from a group of 32 people (included in a master's programme in the field of sport and physical education science), this paper compares the cultural profile of sport specialists before and during the pandemic. The results show that there are some differences only for two cultural dimensions, namely Masculinity versus Femininity and Power Distance. However, as the spread of coronavirus disease at community level has not yet been stopped, it is very likely that these differences will deepen, greatly affecting pedagogical and managerial practices in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]