DOI: 10.5061/dryad.brv15dvkd
title: 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

description: 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 &lt; 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.
description: This study utilized a stratified cluster sampling method to
 conduct a survey of 1,400 students from ten middle schools in Kaifeng
 City, from March 10 to April 10, 2024. The survey questionnaires were
 distributed and collected on-site, resulting in 1,400 issued
 questionnaires and 1,120 returned.
description: # 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
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.brv15dvkd](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.brv15dvkd) ## Description of the data and file structure Description: This study data utilized a stratified cluster sampling method to conduct a survey of 1,400 students from ten middle schools in Kaifeng City, from March 10 to April 10, 2024. The survey questionnaires were distributed and collected on-site, resulting in 1,400 issued questionnaires and 1,120 returned. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Henan University on March 1, 2024 (approval number: HUSOM 2024-139). ### Files and variables File list : PLOSONE.sav Variables : JSZC is student perceived physical education teacher competence support data, form 1 to 15. YDJC is exercise persistence and effort data, from 1 to 4. YDLQ is the joy of sports data, from 1 to 10. NLGZ is perceived competence data, from 1 to 4. YDCY is physical activity rating data, from 1 to 5. JJQX is positive emotions data, from 1 to 10. XLJK is mental health data, from 1 to 12. JSZZZC is student perceived physical education teacher Autonomy competence support data. JSNLZC is student perceived physical education teacher Ability competence support data. JSGLZC is student perceived physical education teacher Perception competence support data.  JSZC: To assess the degree to which the participants perceived the PE teacher to support their autonomy, competence, and relatedness, we used 3 scales. JSZC1-JSZC15 represents questions one to fifteen in the scale.This scale uses a 7-point Likert scale, where higher numbers indicate greater agreement.The higher the number, the greater the perceived level of teacher support.\ The items in the scale are as follows:\ 1\. We feel that the physical education teacher provides us with many opportunities for choice in class. 2. The physical education teacher makes us feel capable of completing the activities in class. 3. The physical education teacher supports us. 4. We believe that the physical education teacher understands us well in class. 5. The physical education teacher makes us feel skilled in sports. 6. The physical education teacher encourages us to work together and cooperate during practice. 7. The physical education teacher believes we have the ability to perform well in class. 8. The physical education teacher helps us improve. 9. The physical education teacher respects us. 10. The physical education teacher encourages us to ask questions in class. 11. The physical education teacher makes us feel we can do better. 12. The physical education teacher cares about us. 13. The physical education teacher listens carefully to our plans during class. 14. The physical education teacher is very friendly towards us. 15. Before suggesting a new method for solving problems, the physical education teacher makes an effort to understand our thoughts. YDJC:To assess exercise persistence and effort constructs. YDJC1-YDJC4 represents questions one to four in the scale.This scale uses a 5-point Likert scale, where higher numbers indicate greater agreement.A higher number indicates better adherence to exercise.\ The items in the scale are as follows:\ 1\. When I have trouble performing some skills, I go back and practice.2.Regardless of whether or not I like the activities, I work my hardest to do them.3.When something that I am practicing is difficult, I spend extra time and effort trying to do it right. 4.I try to learn and do well even if an activity is boring. NLGZ: We measured perceived competence with four items. NLGZ1-NLGZ4 represents questions one to four in the scale.This scale uses a 5-point Likert scale, where higher numbers indicate greater agreement.The higher the number, the better the perceived competence.\ The items in the scale are as follows:\ 1.I am confident that I can master the skills taught by the physical education teacher in class. 2.I believe I perform better than most students. 3.I think I am more skilled in sports than most people. 4.I am confident that I can perform as well as or better than others. YDCY: Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire, GLTEQ. YDCY1-YDCY5 represents questions one to five in the scale. 1.Considering a period of 7 days (one week), what activities do you often engage in during your leisure time that involve working up a sweat (with a rapid heartbeat) for a sufficient duration? The options are: (1) Never/Rarely, (2) Sometimes, (3) Often. 2.Considering the past week, how many times on average did you engage in the following activities for more than 15 minutes during your free time (please write the appropriate number in each circle)?  Vigorous exercise (increased heart rate) (i.e., running, jogging, hockey, soccer, rugby, squash, basketball, cross-country skiing, judo, rollerblading, intense swimming, intense long-distance cycling) Weekly frequency: （ ） 3.Moderate exercise (not strenuous) (i.e., brisk walking, baseball, tennis, leisurely cycling, volleyball, badminton, relaxed swimming, alpine skiing, popular dance, and folk dance) Weekly frequency: （ ）  4.Light exercise (minimal effort) (i.e., yoga, archery, shore fishing, bowling, polo, golf, snowmobiling, leisurely walking) 2. Considering your leisure time over the span of 7 days (one week), how often do you engage in sufficiently long regular activities to the point of sweating (with an increased heart rate)? 5.Considering that you have 7 days (one week) of leisure time, how often do you engage in sufficiently long, regular activities that make you sweat (with a fast heartbeat)? ① Often ② Sometimes ③ Never/Rarely Calculation method: Multiply the answer to question two by 9, the answer to question three by 5, and the answer to question four by 3. Then add the calculated value to the answers from questions one and five. A higher value indicates a better level of physical activity participation. JJQX: is positive emotions data. JJXQ1-JJQX10 represents questions one to ten in the scale.\ 1\. Interested 2. Highly energetic 3. Full of vigor 4. Enthusiastically 5. Proud 6. Highly alert 7. Inspired 8. Determined 9. Focused 10. Vibrant This scale uses a 5-point Likert scale for scoring, with positive scoring; higher scores indicate more pronounced positive emotions. JSZZZC, JSNLZC, and JSGLZC represent the dimensional data of teacher autonomy support, teacher capability support, and teacher-related support, respectively.JSZZZC is a dimension of teacher support, consisting of items 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, and 15 from the Physical Education Teacher Support Scale. JSNLZC is another dimension of teacher support, comprising items 2, 5, 8, and 11 from the same scale. JSGLZC is also a dimension of teacher support, including items 3, 6, 9, 12, and 14 from the Physical Education Teacher Support Scale. YDLQ\YDCY\XLJK\YDJC\NLGZ\JJQX\JSZC are the values calculated according to their respective calculation methods. This data utilized a stratified cluster sampling method to conduct a survey of 1,400 students from ten middle schools in Kaifeng City, from March 10 to April 10, 2024. ## Code/software This data does not require code. Software: IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0. If users want to access the data, they can use SPSS Statistics 26.0 software and open the data directly within the SPSS Statistics 26.0 application. ## Access information Data was derived from the following sources: * Approval number: HUSOM 2024-139 (The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Henan University on March 1, 2024 )