Unpacking the Interest–Engagement Link in College Physical Education: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy in a Filipino Context

Abstract

Despite growing recognition of motivational factors in Physical Education (PE), limited empirical attention has been directed to how individual interest translates into sustained school engagement, particularly in Southeast Asian higher education contexts where PE is frequently taken as peripheral to academic achievement. Existing literature further lacks clarity on the psychological mechanisms that bridge interest and engagement, leaving a critical gap in understanding the role of self-efficacy as a potential conduit in this relationship. This study addressed these gaps by examining the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between individual interest and school engagement in PE among 772 second-year college students from a state-funded comprehensive university in Central Luzon, Philippines. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, with hypothesized pathways tested through structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation significance evaluated via Baron and Kenny’s causal steps, the Delta and Sobel tests, and Monte Carlo simulation (k = 5,000) using the medsem package in Stata17. Results revealed high levels across all three constructs. Individual interest significantly predicted self-efficacy (B = 0.864, p < .001) and school engagement (B = 0.144, p < .001), while self-efficacy significantly predicted engagement (B = 0.079, p = .001). The indirect effect through self-efficacy was statistically significant (B = 0.069, 95% CI [0.026, 0.111], p = .001), accounting to 32.3% of the total effect. Self-efficacy was confirmed as a partial mediator, underscoring its pedagogical significance in designing interest-driven, engagement-focused PE curricula.