The Influence of Family Support, Physical Education Content, Student Participation, and Teaching Methods on the Psychological Development of Undergraduate Students
List of Authors
Syeda Rabia Tahir, Wang Keyong
Keyword
Physical Education; Curriculum Design; Student Participation; Family Support; SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
Abstract
The psychological development of undergraduate students has emerged as a critical concern in higher education due to increasing academic stress, emotional challenges, and social adaptation difficulties. Physical education has been widely recognized as a holistic educational approach that integrates physical activity, social interaction, and experiential learning, thereby offering significant potential for promoting students’ psychological well-being .However, existing studies often examine isolated factors such as participation frequency or instructional style, resulting in a fragmented understanding of how physical education contributes to psychological development .Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, Social Learning Theory, and Ecological Systems Theory, this conceptual paper reconceptualizes the role of physical education in undergraduate psychological development by integrating curriculum design, student participation, teaching methods, and family support into a unified framework. Specifically, physical education content is conceptualized in terms of curriculum diversity and goal clarity, while student participation is represented by participation initiative and participation frequency .Teachers’ teaching methods are further examined through guidance style and evaluation mode, highlighting their influence on students’ emotional regulation, self-cognition, and social adaptation .In addition, family support is incorporated as a critical contextual factor that may moderate the relationships between physical education experiences and psychological development outcomes .Based on an integrative review of prior studies, this paper proposes a set of theoretically grounded research propositions that clarify both direct and moderating relationships among the core constructs. By offering an ecologically informed and multidimensional conceptual framework, this study contributes to a deeper theoretical understanding of the psychological functions of physical education and provides a foundation for future empirical research and educational practice.