The Structural Relationship among Positive Psychological Capital, Intrinsic Motivation, and Class Flow in Middle School Students Participating in Physical Education

Purpose: Recently, self-directed learning competence has been emphasized in Korean school education, and physical education (PE) also aims to support healthy lifestyles and holistic development based on students' autonomy and initiative. This study investigated the structural relationships among positive psychological capital (independent variable), intrinsic motivation (mediating variable), and class flow (dependent variable) in middle school students, with the aim of identifying psychological factors that enhance students' flow in PE classes and providing educational implications for effective PE instruction. Methods: Participants were 450 middle school students from S city, and a total of 416 valid questionnaires were analyzed. Data were processed using SPSS 29.0 and AMOS 29.0, employing descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling. Results: The results showed that: (1) positive psychological capital had a significant positive effect on intrinsic motivation (β = .810, p < .001); (2) intrinsic motivation had a significant positive effect on class flow (β = .727, p < .001); (3) positive psychological capital also had a significant positive effect on class flow (β = .213, p < .01); and (4) intrinsic motivation mediated the relationship between positive psychological capital and class flow (β = .589, p < .01). Conclusion: These findings suggest that PE classes should not only promote physical health but also serve as an important educational setting for developing students' positive psychological resources and fostering self-directed learning attitudes. PE teachers are encouraged to provide continuous emotional support and motivational strategies to enhance students' positive psychological capital and intrinsic motivation, thereby promoting higher levels of class flow.