Development and validation of the health service competence evaluation scale for physical education teachers

Abstract

Physical Education (PE) teachers play a pivotal role in promoting health services within educational settings, yet existing evaluations predominantly focus on motor skill development rather than holistic health service competencies. This study addresses this gap by developing and validating the Health Service Competence Evaluation Scale for Physical Education Teachers (HSCES-PET), aiming to systematically assess PE teachers’ capabilities in health education and promotion. The scale was developed through a three-phase process: item generation, refinement, and validation. Grounded theory technical approach informed the initial 45-item pool. A three-phase psychometric development and validation design included item analysis ( N  = 100), exploratory factor analysis ( N  = 214), and confirmatory factor analysis ( N  = 224) to establish structural validity. Reliability was assessed via Cronbach’s α, and content validity was verified by expert reviews. Item analysis supported retention of all 45 initial items, whereas EFA resulted in the removal of nine items and supported a 36-item, three-factor structure explaining 85.27% of the total variance. The correlated three-factor model demonstrated good fit (χ²/df = 1.49, CFI = 0.965, TLI = 0.963, RMSEA = 0.047, 90% CI [0.040, 0.053], SRMR = 0.043) and fitted the data significantly better than the one-factor model (Δχ² = 3349.2, Δdf = 3, P  < 0.001). Internal consistency was high for the total scale and the three subscales. Inter-subscale correlations ranged from 0.604 to 0.850. The HSCES-PET is a promising psychometrically evaluated self-report instrument for assessing PE teachers’ perceived health service competence. As a self-report screening instrument, it may provide a preliminary foundation for large-scale needs assessments and professional development planning, subject to further validation in representative samples. Future research should explore cross-cultural adaptations and integration into teacher education systems.