The Mechanism of Leader-Expressed Humility on a Physical Education Teacher’s Work Engagement—Exploring the Chain Mediation Effect of Teacher Efficacy and Felt Obligation

Abstract

Motivating a teacher’s work engagement has been brought into focus within the educational field, yet there has been deficient detail on how leader-expressed humility may influence a physical education teacher’s work engagement. Based on social information processing theory and trait activation theory, the study investigates the potential effects of leader-expressed humility on a physical education teacher’s work engagement within the organizational situations of primary and secondary schools in China. Data were collected from 579 physical education teachers using self-reported questionnaires. Results fully supported the proposed chain mediation model that leader-expressed humility is a strong predictor for a physical education teacher’s work engagement, and leader-expressed humility could indirectly affect a physical education teacher’s work engagement through the independent mediating effect of teacher efficacy and felt obligation, as well as the chain mediating effect of the two. Implications for management and practice, limitations, and future research are discussed.