The relationship between physical education teachers' competence support and middle school students' participation in sports: a chain mediation model of perceived competence and exercise persistence

This study explores the relationship between physical education
teachers' support and middle school students' participation in
sports. It also clarifies this relationship's mediating roles of
perceived competence and exercise persistence. A questionnaire survey
involved 879 Chinese middle school students, consisting of 434 males and
445 females. The results indicate a significant positive correlation
between teachers' competence support and students' participation
in sports (p < 0.01).Perceived competence and exercise persistence
as important mediators between teachers' competence support and
students' involvement in sports, with the mediation effect comprising
independent mediation by perceived competence and exercise persistence and
a chain mediation effect involving both. The effect value was 0.156, with
contributions of 60.4%, 43.6%, and 73.1% to the total mediating effect,
respectively. In physical education courses, teachers should enhance their
competence to support students, increase students' interest in
learning, and promote the development of sports participation. By
understanding the predictive roles of teacher support, perceived
competence, and exercise persistence on sports participation, strategies
can be developed to better enhance students' levels of participation
in physical activities, thereby improving their beliefs about physical
health and their confidence in exercising.

本研究探究体育教师支持与中学生体育参与（sports participation）之间的关联，并阐明感知能力（perceived competence）与锻炼坚持性（exercise persistence）在该关系中的中介作用。本研究采用问卷调查法，共纳入879名中国中学生作为研究对象，其中男生434名、女生445名。研究结果显示，教师的能力支持与学生体育参与之间存在显著正相关关系（p < 0.01）。感知能力与锻炼坚持性是教师能力支持与学生体育参与之间的重要中介变量，其中介效应既包含感知能力、锻炼坚持性的单独中介路径，也涵盖二者的链式中介路径。本次研究的中介效应值为0.156，上述三种中介路径对总中介效应的贡献占比分别为60.4%、43.6%与73.1%。在体育课程教学中，教师应强化自身的能力支持行为，提升学生的体育学习兴趣，进而推动学生体育参与行为的发展。通过厘清教师支持、感知能力与锻炼坚持性对体育参与的预测作用，可制定针对性策略以进一步提升学生的体育活动参与水平，从而改善其对身体健康的认知及运动自信心。