Teacher Support in Adapted Physical Education and Learning Engagement among Physically Disadvantaged College Students: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience
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Published
Mar 30, 2026
Abstract
Despite the advancements in inclusive education policies, physically disadvantaged college students still experience low engagement due to inadequate pedagogical adaptation and lack of psychological resources. Grounded in social support theory and positive psychology, the study aims to examine the direct relationship between teacher support and student learning engagement, and to assess the mediating effect of psychological resilience. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was used, involving 337 students from seven public and private universities. Data were collected through validated scales on teacher support, psychological resilience, and learning engagement. Paper-based surveys were administered in classrooms with informed consent and analyzed using PROCESS Macro (Model 4) in SPSS 29.0. Research methods included descriptive statistics, correlation, regression, and bootstrapped mediation analysis. The results reveal that teacher support significantly and positively predicted both student psychological resilience and learning engagement, with psychological resilience partially mediating the relationship between teacher support and student engagement. The study underscores the importance of emotional support and psychological empowerment in inclusive physical education.
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Keywords
Teacher Support, Learning Engagement, Psychological Resilience, Adapted Physical Education, Physically Disadvantaged College Students
Supporting Agencies
This study is funded by the project “Research on the Impact of Adaptive Physical Education on the Psychological Resilience of Physically Disadvantaged College Students” (2025XZP39) under the 2025 Guangxi University of Foreign Languages’ Program for Fundamental Scientific Research Competence Enhancement in Young and Middle-aged Teachers.
References
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Cao, L., Ao, X., Zheng, Z., Ran, Z., & Lang, J. (2024). Exploring the impact of physical exercise on mental health among female college students: the chain mediating role of coping styles and psychological resilience. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1466327. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1466327
Centeio, E., Mercier, K., Garn, A., Erwin, H., Marttinen, R., & Foley, J. (2021). The success and struggles of physical education teachers while teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 40(4), 667-673. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2020-0295
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Qiu, W., Huang, C., Xiao, H., Nie, Y., Ma, W., Zhou, F., & Liu, C. (2025). The correlation between physical activity and psychological resilience in young students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1557347. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557347
Salih, A. O., Younis, A. A., & Chtourou, H. (2023). Psychological resilience for students of faculty of physical education and sports science. Physical Education of Students, 27(6), 313-318. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15561/20755279.2023.0602
Simón-Chico, L., González-Peño, A., Hernández-Cuadrado, E., & Franco, E. (2023). The impact of a challenge-based learning experience in physical education on students’ motivation and engagement. European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education, 13(4), 684-700. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13040052
Valle-Flórez, R. E., de Caso Fuertes, A. M., Baelo, R., & García-Martín, S. (2021). Faculty of education professors’ perception about the inclusion of university students with disabilities. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(21), 11667. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111667
Wibowo, C., Nopiyanto, Y. E., Raibowo, S., Insanistyo, B., Kardi, I. S., & Cs, A. (2024). Assessing the Influence of the Flipped Classroom on Physical Education Students’ Engagement in Basketball Learning Activities. Physical Education Theory and Methodology, 24(4), 511-519. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17309/tmfv.2024.4.01
Yi, Z. F. (2023). The impact of teacher support on vocational school students' learning engagement (master’s thesis). Guangdong University of Technology.
Zhang, Z., Wang, T., Kuang, J., Herold, F., Ludyga, S., Li, J., ... & Zou, L. (2022). The roles of exercise tolerance and resilience in the effect of physical activity on emotional states among college students. International journal of clinical and health psychology, 22(3), 100312. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100312
Balki, E., Hayes, N., & Holland, C. (2023). The indirect impact of educational attainment as a distal resource for older adults on loneliness, social isolation, psychological resilience, and technology use during the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional quantitative study. JMIR Aging, 6, e47729. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/47729
Calderón, A., Scanlon, D., MacPhail, A., & Moody, B. (2021). An integrated blended learning approach for physical education teacher education programmes: teacher educators’ and pre-service teachers’ experiences. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 26(6), 562-577. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2020.1823961
Cao, L., Ao, X., Zheng, Z., Ran, Z., & Lang, J. (2024). Exploring the impact of physical exercise on mental health among female college students: the chain mediating role of coping styles and psychological resilience. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1466327. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1466327
Centeio, E., Mercier, K., Garn, A., Erwin, H., Marttinen, R., & Foley, J. (2021). The success and struggles of physical education teachers while teaching online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 40(4), 667-673. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2020-0295
Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor‐Davidson resilience scale (CD‐RISC). Depression and anxiety, 18(2), 76-82. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/da.10113
Guo, W., Wang, J., Li, N., & Wang, L. (2025). The impact of teacher emotional support on learning engagement among college students mediated by academic self-efficacy and academic resilience. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 3670. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88187-x
Hastie, P. A., Stringfellow, A., Johnson, J. L., Dixon, C. E., Hollett, N., & Ward, K. (2022). Examining the concept of engagement in physical education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 27(1), 1-18.
Hayes, A. F. (2013) Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach. Journal of Educational Measurement, 51, 335-337. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jedm.12050
He, D., Yang, M., Wang, J., & Song, M. (2025). Academic resilience and learning engagement: Peer relationships and learning motivation as mediators. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 53(1), 1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.13326
Kocatürk, M., & Çiçek, İ. (2023). Relationship between positive childhood experiences and psychological resilience in university students: The mediating role of self-esteem. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 33(1), 78-89. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2021.16
Leo, F. M., Mouratidis, A., Pulido, J. J., López-Gajardo, M. A., & Sánchez-Oliva, D. (2022). Perceived teachers’ behavior and students’ engagement in physical education: The mediating role of basic psychological needs and self-determined motivation. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 27(1), 59-76. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2020.1850667
Li, M. F. (2022). The impact of college students' academic stress on academic procrastination: The mediating role of rumination and psychological resilience (master’s thesis). Harbin Engineering University.
Lobo, J., Balahadia, F., Panganiban, T., Camarador, R., Quibral, J., Longakit, J., ... & Payumo, A. (2025). Driven by grit, inspired by curiosity: Enhancing students’ academic engagement in Physical Education in the higher education system. Sportis Scientific Journal of School Sport, Physical Education and Psychomotricity, 11(1), 1-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17979/sportis.2025.11.1.11204
Luo, Q. Y. (2023). The relationship between psychological resilience and academic performance in graduate students (master’s thesis). Tianjin University.
McNamara, S. W., & Rizzo, T. L. (2023). Principals’ attitudes and intentions toward supporting adapted physical education. European Physical Education Review, 29(3), 421-437. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X231158495
Patenteu, I., Gawrych, R., Bratu, M., Vasile, L., Makarowski, R., Bitang, A., & Nica, S. A. (2024). The role of psychological resilience and aggression in injury prevention among martial arts athletes. Frontiers in psychology, 15, 1433835. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1433835
Prananto, K., Cahyadi, S., Lubis, F. Y., & Hinduan, Z. R. (2025). Perceived teacher support and student engagement among higher education students–a systematic literature review. BMC psychology, 13(1), 112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02412-w
Qiu, W., Huang, C., Xiao, H., Nie, Y., Ma, W., Zhou, F., & Liu, C. (2025). The correlation between physical activity and psychological resilience in young students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1557347. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1557347
Salih, A. O., Younis, A. A., & Chtourou, H. (2023). Psychological resilience for students of faculty of physical education and sports science. Physical Education of Students, 27(6), 313-318. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15561/20755279.2023.0602
Simón-Chico, L., González-Peño, A., Hernández-Cuadrado, E., & Franco, E. (2023). The impact of a challenge-based learning experience in physical education on students’ motivation and engagement. European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education, 13(4), 684-700. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe13040052
Valle-Flórez, R. E., de Caso Fuertes, A. M., Baelo, R., & García-Martín, S. (2021). Faculty of education professors’ perception about the inclusion of university students with disabilities. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(21), 11667. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111667
Wibowo, C., Nopiyanto, Y. E., Raibowo, S., Insanistyo, B., Kardi, I. S., & Cs, A. (2024). Assessing the Influence of the Flipped Classroom on Physical Education Students’ Engagement in Basketball Learning Activities. Physical Education Theory and Methodology, 24(4), 511-519. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17309/tmfv.2024.4.01
Yi, Z. F. (2023). The impact of teacher support on vocational school students' learning engagement (master’s thesis). Guangdong University of Technology.
Zhang, Z., Wang, T., Kuang, J., Herold, F., Ludyga, S., Li, J., ... & Zou, L. (2022). The roles of exercise tolerance and resilience in the effect of physical activity on emotional states among college students. International journal of clinical and health psychology, 22(3), 100312. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100312
How to Cite
Lin, C. (2026). Teacher Support in Adapted Physical Education and Learning Engagement among Physically Disadvantaged College Students: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience. Science Insights Education Frontiers, 33(1), 5307–5322. https://doi.org/10.15354/sief.26.or189
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