Open Access

ARTICLE

The Impacts of a Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Intervention on Social and Emotional Competence in Physical Education: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Weidong Li^1,2, Zh Yeng Chong³, Yaqing Mao^4,*, Wanying Zhang⁴, Wei Xu³, Mingwei Li⁵, Yiyun Wang⁶, Huaxia Xiong⁴

1 College of Education for the Future, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai, 519087, China
2 School of General Education, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Zhuhai, 519087, China
3 Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
4 Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
5 Faculty of Preschool Education, Beijing Institute of Education, Beijing, 100120, China
6 Mental Health Center, Hebei University of Economics and Business, Shijiazhuang, 050061, China

* Corresponding Author: Yaqing Mao. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Active Living, Active Minds: Promoting Mental Health through Physical Activity)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2025, 27(2), 161-177. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2025.059090

Received 27 September 2024; Accepted 16 January 2025; Issue published 03 March 2025

Abstract

Background: The Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model in physical education (PE) has been shown to promote Social and emotional competence (SEC). However, the underlying mechanisms through which TPSR enhances SEC, particularly in university students within the Chinese context, remain unclear. This study aims to explore the effects of TPSR and the mediating roles of self-efficacy and grit in improving SEC. Methods: 71 Chinese university students were in the TPSR group, and 39 in the Traditional Teaching Model (TTM) control group, assessed before and after a 14-week intervention. The Adapted Social and Emotional Competence Scale (ASECS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Short Grit Scale (SGS) were used for measurement. A mixed-design ANOVA assessed TPSR’s effects, with post-hoc t-tests for pre-post differences and mediation analysis for underlying mechanisms. Results: The mixed-design ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between time and intervention on SEC. The TPSR group showed significant improvement from pre-test to post-test (t (70) = −2.63, p = 0.011, Cohen’s d = −0.31), whereas the TTM control group did not (t (38) = 1.40, p = 0.170, Cohen’s d = 0.22). The TPSR group also showed a significant increase in self-efficacy (t (70) = −3.67, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = −0.44), while no change was observed in the TTM group (t (38) = 0.62, p = 0.540, Cohen’s d = 0.10). No significant effects were found for grit (F = 0.342, p = 0.560). Mediation analysis confirmed that self-efficacy significantly mediated the effects of the TPSR intervention on SEC (95% CI: 0.0277 to 0.2897). Conclusion: The TPSR intervention led to significant improvements in university students’ SEC and self-efficacy, with no significant changes observed in grit. Self-efficacy served as a mediator in the relationship between the intervention and SEC.

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