AI Insight
This study of 228 primary school physical education teachers in Chengdu found that both emotional competence and psychological resilience were significantly negatively associated with job burnout. Psychological resilience served as a partial mediator between emotional competence and burnout, accounting for 55.1% of the total effect. Among specific dimensions, emotion regulation showed the strongest correlation with reduced burnout.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that targeted interventions focusing on emotion regulation skills and psychological resilience training could effectively reduce burnout among primary school PE teachers. This research provides evidence-based guidance for education administrators seeking to improve teacher wellbeing and retention in schools.
Understand the Science
ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the relationships between emotional competence, psychological resilience and job burnout among primary school physical education (PE) teachers, and examine the mediating role of psychological resilience.MethodsA total of 228 teachers from 24 primary schools in Chengdu were recruited via stratified random sampling. All participants completed three validated scales measuring emotional competence, psychological resilience and job burnout.ResultsBoth emotional competence and psychological resilience were significantly and negatively associated with job burnout among primary school PE teachers (β = −0.49, p < 0.001; β = −0.52, p < 0.001). Among the dimensions of emotional competence, emotion regulation showed the strongest correlation with job burnout (r = −0.64, p < 0.01); among the dimensions of psychological resilience, resilience showed the highest correlation with job burnout (r = −0.61, p < 0.01). Psychological resilience played a partial mediating role in the association between emotional competence and job burnout, accounting for 55.1% of the total effect.ConclusionEmotional competence of primary school PE teachers is directly associated with job burnout and also indirectly related to burnout levels via psychological resilience. It is suggested that education administrators improve primary school PE teachers’ emotion regulation skills and organize systematic psychological resilience training to reduce job burnout.