Sport Psychology Studies

Sport Psychology Studies

Structural Equation Modeling of the Relationships between Sports Teachers' Interpersonal Behaviors and Student Engagement in Physical Education Lessons: The Mediating Role of Classroom Motivational Climate (Case Study: Male High School Students)

Document Type : Original research

Author
Mohammad Javad Afsharian
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education, Farhangian University, P.O. Box 14665-889, Tehran, Iran
10.22089/spsyj.2025.15517.2431
Abstract
Objective: The present study aimed to model the structural relationships between sport teachers' interpersonal behaviors and student engagement among male high school students in Tehran in physical education lessons, with the mediating role of classroom motivational climate.

Materials and Methods: The research method was descriptive-correlational using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of 33,667 male high school students in Tehran, from which 346 students were selected through random sampling. Data collection instruments included the Interpersonal Behavior Questionnaire (Burgueño and Medina-Casaubón, 2021), the Student Engagement Questionnaire (Stringfellow et al., 2024), and the Classroom Motivational Climate Questionnaire (Milton et al., 2018). Instrument reliability was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha. Data analysis was conducted using the partial least squares method and SPSS and Smart PLS software.

Findings: The results showed that teachers' interpersonal behaviors had a direct and significant effect on classroom motivational climate (with an R² of 62.6%) and student engagement (with an R² of 74%). Furthermore, the Sobel test with 95% confidence confirmed the mediating role of motivational climate in the relationship between teachers' interpersonal behaviors and student engagement (VAF = 0.396) , and the overall model fit index (GOF = 0.566) indicated a strong model fit.

Conclusion: Supportive behaviors of sport teachers by creating an empowering motivational climate, provide the groundwork for enhancing the four dimensions of engagement (behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and agentic) among students.
Keywords
Classroom Motivational Climate, Physical Education, High School Students, Student Engagement, Sport Teachers'
Interpersonal Behaviors
Subjects
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Sport Psychology Studies
Volume 15, Issue 57
Summer 2026
Pages 1-18

  • Receive Date 26 August 2024
  • Revise Date 30 June 2025
  • Accept Date 30 July 2025