.The relationship between motivational structures and physical education teachers' job performance based on the mediating role of self-efficacy

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between motivational regulations and job performance of physical education teachers in Iran and Iraq based on the mediating role of self-efficacy. Four hundred physical education teachers in Tabriz and Mayson participated in this study. Motivational self-regulations (Ryan and Connell, 1989) in physical education class, one-item occupational performance questionnaire (Patterson, 1974), self-confidence (Rosenberg, 2010), and self-efficacy (Moran and Woolfolk, 2001) were used.

The results showed that intrinisc motivation (beta = 23%), identified regulation (beta = 13%), introjected regulation (beta = 9%), and amotivation (beta = -9%) predicted teachers’ job performance.

The results showed that teachers’ motivational regulations related to their job performance in physical education classes. Also, self-efficacy was related to job performance and motivational regulations , as well as self-efficacy played a mediational role. Supporting the self-determiantion theory’ tenets, our findings add to the current literature by showing the positive role of autonomous regulations (intrinsic motivation and identified regulation) and introjection, and the negative role of amotivation in predicting job performance in physical education teachers across two cultures in Iran and Iraq. Moreover, we found that teachers’ motivational regulations relates to their job performance through the mediating role of self-efficacy in physical education classes.