The mediating role of professional self-concept in how teacher professional development influences rural physical education teachers' work engagement: a moderated mediation analysis

This study investigates how physical education (PE) teachers' perceptions of professional development (TPD) quality influence their work engagement, with professional self-concept as a mediator, while examining the moderating roles of teaching experience, disciplinary background, and training frequency. Data from 733 rural Chinese PE teachers were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results revealed that TPD perception positively predicted work engagement (β = 0.176, <i>p</i> < 0.01), with professional self-concept mediating 63.3% of this effect. Education majors exhibited stronger direct (β = 0.675 vs. 0.529) and mediated effects than non-education majors. Multi-group analysis revealed a distinct, non-linear pattern across career stages: early-career teachers (1-5 years) showed a complex effect characterized by a suppressing mediation through professional self-concept (β = -1.210), while mid-career teachers (6-15 years) showed non-significant paths. In contrast, veteran teachers (>15 years) demonstrated the highest training responsiveness (total effect = 0.538). Training frequency followed an inverted U-curve, peaking at 1-2 sessions/year before declining at ≥3 sessions. These findings underscore the critical need for differentiated and context-sensitive TPD programs to enhance PE teachers' engagement, with design imperatives that address the unique challenges and needs of specific career stages and disciplinary backgrounds.