University physical education teacher leadership behaviors and college students’ learning outcomes: the mediating roles of basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration

IntroductionGrounded in the Multidimensional Model of Leadership (MML) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examines how physical education (PE) teacher leadership behaviors shape college students’ learning experiences, with a particular focus on the mediating mechanisms of basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration.MethodsData were collected via questionnaires from 504 undergraduate students enrolled in compulsory PE courses across several Chinese universities. Students’ perceived leadership behaviors of PE instructors, basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration, learning motivation, class satisfaction, and boredom were measured using the following questionnaires: Physical Education Teacher Leadership Behavior, Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration (BPNSFS), Perceived Locus of Causality, Physical Education (PACSQ), and class boredom.ResultsStructural equation modeling revealed that need satisfaction and need frustration served as parallel mediators of the relationship between PE teacher leadership and three key learning outcomes: learning motivation, class satisfaction, and class boredom. Leadership behaviors exhibited fully mediated effects on learning motivation and boredom, and partially mediated effects on class satisfaction. Furthermore, the mediating pathway through need satisfaction demonstrated a significantly stronger overall effect than that through need frustration.ConclusionThese findings indicate that PE teachers influence students’ experiences primarily by fulfilling or thwarting basic psychological needs, alongside a direct positive contribution to class satisfaction. This study provides robust empirical support for integrating leadership and motivational theories, and offers actionable insights for enhancing pedagogical practices in higher education PE settings.