Digital Teaching Competence and Teaching Performance among University Physical Education Teachers: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement

Abstract

Digital transformation is changing how university physical education (PE) teachers plan lessons, demonstrate movement, organize practice, assess learning, and provide feedback. However, operating digital tools is not equivalent to using them pedagogically. This conceptual article develops a parsimonious model linking digital teaching competence with teaching performance among university PE teachers, with teacher work engagement as a mediator. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge explains how competence improves the alignment of technology, pedagogy, and PE content, whereas Job Demands-Resources theory explains how competence can function as a personal resource that promotes vigor, dedication, and absorption. Four hypotheses are proposed: digital teaching competence positively predicts teaching performance; digital teaching competence positively predicts work engagement; work engagement positively predicts teaching performance; and work engagement partially mediates the competence-performance relationship. A cross-sectional survey and structural equation modeling procedure are outlined for an initial test among full-time university PE teachers in Henan Province, China. The article contributes a discipline-sensitive definition of digital teaching competence, distinguishes competence from teaching performance, and identifies a focused mechanism through which capability may become sustained instructional action. It also offers practical directions for problem-centered professional development and institutional support. Longitudinal and multi-source studies are recommended to establish temporal order and reduce common-method bias.