The Influence of Teacher’s Attributes and Learning Interest on the Engagement of the Physical Education Students

Abstract

This study examined the influence of teachers’ attributes and learning interest on the engagement of Physical Education students in selected higher education institutions in Davao de Oro, Philippines. The investigation was grounded in Richard Ryan and Edward Deci’s Self-Determination Theory and the Interest-Driven Creator Theory of Ching Sing Chai and colleagues. A quantitative non-experimental descriptive-correlational design was employed. Data were collected from 357 college students enrolled in PATHFIT 2 using adopted and validated survey instruments. Statistical tools included mean, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Results revealed that teachers’ attributes (M = 4.59), learning interest (M = 4.28), and student engagement (M = 4.39) were all rated very high. Significant positive relationships were found between teachers’ attributes and student engagement (r = 0.343, p < .001) and between learning interest and student engagement (r = 0.664, p < .001). Learning interest demonstrated the stronger association with engagement. Regression analysis further showed that teachers’ attributes and learning interest jointly explained 52.4% of the variance in student engagement (R² = 0.524, p < .001). Among all domains, Stored Attainment Value and Knowledge-Seeking Attention emerged as the strongest predictor, indicating that students who highly value academic success and actively seek knowledge are more likely to demonstrate greater behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and agentic engagement. The findings underscore the importance of nurturing meaningful learning interest and sustaining teachers’ positive professional and humanistic qualities to maximize student engagement in Physical Education.