Teacher Support and Student Engagement in Physical Education: The Mediating Role of Student Self-Efficacy Among Undergraduates at Jining Normal University

Abstract

Amid the national attention on whole-person undergraduate education reform and ongoing concern over low participation in university physical education (PE) in China, this study examines how teacher support predicts student engagement in PE, considering the mediating effect of student self-efficacy among undergraduates in Jining Normal University. A quantitative research design was conducted by using a structured questionnaire, collecting data from 400 undergraduates doing compulsory PE courses. The data were analyzed by using SPSS, confirmatory facto analysis (CFA), structural equation modelling (SEM) and bootstrapping via AMOS 28.0 to examine the direct and indirect effects. Results indicate that teacher support has a positive significant influence on student engagement and student self-efficacy, while student self-efficacy is a significant predictor of student engagement. Furthermore, self-efficacy partially mediates the impact of teacher support on student engagement, which suggests that supportive teaching practices can promote engagement directly and indirectly by increasing student’s confidence in their physical competence. This study contributes to the literature by generalizing research on teacher support and student engagement to the context of Chinese university PE, self-efficacy as a key psychology mechanism in explaining the relationship between teacher support and student engagement, and practical implications for PE teachers who desire to increase students’ active involvement and meaningful learning through supportive pedagogical approaches.