Digital transformation in physical education: chain mediator model of self-efficacy burnout and professional development

This study examined the relationship among burnout, professional development, and self-efficacy among physical education teachers in universities.The focus is on issues such as teachers' self-efficacy and general efficacy, professional burnout, and professional development in the digital age. Physical education teachers in higher education may experience reduced self-efficacy and professional well-being in digital environments, leading to professional burnout and diminished motivation for professional development. Although this issue holds significant implications for professional development, research evidence specifically targeting physical education teachers remains limited. March to April 2025, a total of two hundred and fifty-eight physical education teachers from public universities in Henan Province, China, voluntarily participated in this survey. Data were collected via an online survey including the Burnout Self-Assessment Scale(BSAC), the General Self-Efficacy Scale(GSES),, and the Professional Development Questionnaire(PDQ). Descriptive statistics and SEM were employed for analysis. along with Pearson correlation to assess relationships between variables. Physical education teachers' burnout showed a significant negative correlation with personal teaching efficacy (r = –0.186, p < 0.01), general teaching efficacy (r = –0.197, p < 0.01), and professional development (r = –0.151, p < 0.05) in the digital.Among the self-efficacy variables, personal teaching efficacy (r = 0.674, p < 0.01) and general teaching efficacy (r = 0.717, p < 0.01) both showed significant positive correlations with professional development. Personal and general teaching efficacy showed a positive correlation (r = 0.745, p < 0.01). Personal teaching efficacy significantly fully mediated the relationship between professional burnout and general teaching efficacy (β = –0.186, p < 0.01). General teaching efficacy fully mediated the relationship between personal teaching efficacy and professional development (β = 0.566, p < 0.001). In the chain-mediated model, Personal and general teaching efficacy together formed a significant chain-mediating pathway between professional burnout and professional development (β = –0.106, p < 0.01). These findings indicate that self-efficacy plays a significant role in burnout and professional development among physical education teachers. This study indicates that self-efficacy and occupational burnout are key factors influencing the professional development of university physical education teachers. Higher levels of self-efficacy enhance teachers' professional development, while higher levels of occupational burnout diminish it.