Abstract
The aim of the present study is to analyze the effect of behavioral patterns on the job performance of physical education teachers in Yazd province with an emphasis on the mediation of teaching professional criteria. This research was conducted using a correlational survey method. The statistical population includes all physical education teachers in Yazd province (N=405), of which 197 people were selected as a sample based on the Krejci and Morgan table. The data collection tools include the Jenkins et al. Behavioral Patterns Questionnaire (Jenkins et al., 1979), the Teachers Job Performance Questionnaire (Sari et al., 2025), and the Teachers Professional Criteria Questionnaire (Canuto et al., 2023). The face validity of the instruments was confirmed by 10 physical education management experts, and their reliability was obtained by calculating Cronbach's alpha as 0.78, 0.81, and 0.76 respectively, indicating desirable reliability. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in PLS software. The results showed that behavioral patterns have a positive and significant effect on job performance (β=0.42, p<0.001) and teaching profession criteria (β=0.48, p<0.001). Also, teaching profession criteria played a significant mediating role in the relationship between behavioral patterns and job performance (β=0.20, p<0.01). The findings indicate that improving teachers' behavioral patterns through teaching profession criteria can lead to improved job performance. Therefore, paying attention to the development of professional criteria and training based on teaching standards plays a key role in improving the quality of teaching and job effectiveness of physical education teachers.
Introduction
As one of the main pillars of the educational system, physical education teachers play a key role in promoting the physical, social, and mental health of students. They are not only responsible for transmitting knowledge and motor skills, but also play a role in fostering a positive attitude towards physical activity and creating an active lifestyle (Lorraine, 2023). Research has shown that the quality of teaching and educational behaviors of physical education teachers can lead to improving students' physical fitness and increasing their motivation to participate in motor activities (Méndez-Giménez et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2023). Therefore, the role of physical education teachers goes beyond mere teaching of physical education movements and is also reflected in educational and social dimensions. In the meantime, one of the fundamental dimensions in examining the role and function of physical education teachers is their "job performance". Job performance is defined as purposeful and job-related behaviors that facilitate the achievement of educational and organizational goals (Li et al., 2024). In the field of education, teacher performance reflects the quality of teaching, the ability to manage the classroom, communicate effectively with students, and achieve educational goals (Li et al., 2025). The importance of this concept in physical education teachers is twofold, because their desired performance is effective not only in academic achievement, but also in promoting the health and motivation of students to participate in physical activities (Zhang et al., 2023). Since human capital plays an important role in sports organizations, (Razavi & Talebpour, 2018; Razavi et al., 2021), investigating the behavioral patterns of physical education teachers as an important human capital for education is important. Behavioral patterns are defined as styles and recurring patterns in educational interactions and classroom management that have a direct impact on the quality of the teaching-learning process (Korpershoek et al., 2020). Therefore, this study seeks to answer the question: What is the effect of behavioral patterns on the job performance of physical education teachers in Yazd province, with an emphasis on the mediation of teaching profession criteria?
Theoretical framework
Behavioral patterns
Behavioral patterns in the educational environment refer to the stable and observable behaviors that teachers display in their interactions with students and can be identified as recurring patterns. These patterns have their roots in behavioral learning theories and educational psychology and have been extracted through classroom observations and behavioral analyses. For example, research has shown that teachers systematically modify their behaviors according to the learning characteristics and needs of students; such as providing immediate feedback, using positive reinforcement, or creating collaborative learning opportunities (Granero-Gallegos et al., 2017).
Standards of the Teaching Profession
The standards of the teaching profession are a framework of professional standards and competencies that define the knowledge, skills, and ethical values ​​expected of a teacher. These standards are the product of a combination of learning theories, educational policies, and international documents such as the UNESCO and International Union of Education frameworks, which encompass three main areas: knowledge and understanding, professional practice, and ethical communication (Education International, 2019).
Job Performance
Teachers' job performance is a set of purposeful and job-related behaviors that facilitate the achievement of educational, training, and organizational goals. In the education literature, this concept includes dimensions such as teaching quality, classroom management, organizational commitment, job motivation, and professional satisfaction. The conceptual roots of job performance go back to human resource management theories and organizational psychology, but in education, it emphasizes educational and training aspects. A systematic review of research shows that various factors, including professional qualifications, organizational supports, intrinsic motivation, and environmental conditions can affect teacher performance (Li et al., 2025).
Li et al., (2025) examined the effect of teachers' individual characteristics, such as self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation, on their job performance. The results showed that teachers with high self-efficacy and stronger intrinsic motivation perform better in teaching and classroom management.
Dadashi & Pali (2023) studied the presentation of a structural model of job performance based on communication skills with the mediation of job involvement in teachers. The results showed that there is a relationship between communication skills and job involvement with an impact coefficient of 0.67, between communication skills and job performance with an impact coefficient of 0.79, and between job involvement and job performance with an impact coefficient of 0.76. On the other hand, communication skills were indirectly related to job performance with an impact coefficient of 0.50. In other words, job involvement played a mediating role in the relationship between communication skills and job performance.
Research Methodology
This research was conducted as a correlation and survey method. The statistical population included all physical education teachers in Yazd province (N=405), of whom 197 people were selected as a sample based on the Krejci and Morgan table. The data collection tools include the Jenkins et al. Behavioral Patterns Questionnaire (Jenkins et al., 1979), the Teachers’ Job Performance Questionnaire (Sari et al., 2025), and the Teacher Professional Criteria Questionnaire (Canuto et al., 2023). The face validity of the tools was confirmed by 10 sports management experts, and their reliability was obtained by calculating Cronbach’s alpha as 0.78, 0.81, and 0.76, respectively, indicating desirable reliability.
Research Findings
Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in PLS software. The results showed that behavioral patterns have a positive and significant effect on job performance (β=0.42, p<0.001) and teacher professional criteria (β=0.48, p<0.001). Also, teaching professional standards played a significant mediating role in the relationship between behavioral patterns and job performance (β=0.20, p<0.01). The findings indicate that improving teachers' behavioral patterns through teaching professional standards can lead to improved job performance. Therefore, paying attention to the development of professional standards and training based on teaching standards plays a key role in improving the quality of teaching and job effectiveness of physical education teachers.
Conclusion
The present study aimed to analyze the effect of behavioral patterns on the job performance of physical education teachers in Yazd province, emphasizing the mediation of teaching professional standards. The results of this study are consistent with the results of Ovens & Philpot (2021) and Kraft et al., (2023), Li et al., (2025), Ghorbani et al., (2021), Wei (2025), and Zhang et al., (2023), who have emphasized that teachers' professional development is the path to transferring the positive effects of educational behaviors to job performance. Therefore, paying attention to professional standards as an intermediary can play a key role in increasing the effectiveness of behavioral patterns. This result can also be analyzed from the perspective of organizational learning theories.
Based on the results of the study, it is suggested that education officials in Yazd province hold special training courses to improve teachers' behavioral patterns and, at the same time, strengthen their professional skills and provide a basis for improving their job performance.