Linking physical environment in physical education classes and adolescents' life skills: evidence from Chinese secondary schools

Yi-Xiang Wang, Lan PANG, Wenhao Xue, X C Xie, Rong Fan

Background Adolescents' life skills(LS) development has become increasingly important in China's ongoing education reform, but the associations between the physical environment of physical education classes (PEOPEC), physical education class learning engagement (PECLE), and LS remain insufficiently understood. Grounded in ecosystem theory and achievement goal theory, a mediation model of “PEOPEC—PECLE—LS” was constructed and validated to explore the pathways through which the implicit educational mechanisms of physical education curricula operate. Methods Using questionnaire data from 504 secondary school students in the central and eastern regions of Hubei Province, this study tested the proposed model using Pearson correlation analysis and bootstrap-based mediation analysis. Results indicated that students' perceived PEOPEC was significantly and positively associated with all eight dimensions of LS, including teamwork and goal setting. Furthermore, PECLE partially statistically mediated these associations. Discussion It is recommended that efforts begin with optimizing PEOPEC by systematically improving teaching spaces, equipment allocation, and situational design quality. Such measures may be relevant for supporting students' learning engagement and realizing the educational value of PE curricula.