Abstract
BACKGROUND: Enhancing work engagement among physical education (PE) teachers is crucial for building a strong sports nation and fostering educational advancement. However, PE teachers frequently experience conflicts between work and family roles, significantly impacting their professional involvement. The concept of work-family facilitation, highlighting mutual facilitation between work and family domains, has considerable theoretical and practical significance but remains underexplored in this context. This study integrates ecosystem theory, spillover theory, social exchange theory, and two-factor theory to systematically explore the mechanism through which work-family facilitation influences work engagement. Specifically, it investigates the roles of psychological resilience and job satisfaction in this relationship, providing a novel theoretical perspective and empirical evidence. AIM: To systematically explore the mechanism through which work-family facilitation influences work engagement among PE teachers. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 436 PE teachers. Structural equation modeling was used to examine relationships among variables and assess mediating effects. RESULTS: Work-family facilitation positively correlated with psychological resilience, job satisfaction, and work engagement (r = 0.323-0.705, P < 0.001). Psychological resilience and job satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between work-family facilitation and work engagement, demonstrating a significant chain mediation effect. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that promoting work-family facilitation enhances psychological resilience and job satisfaction, thereby significantly boosting work engagement among PE teachers. These findings underline the importance of targeted interventions to enhance work-family resources, psychological resilience, and job satisfaction, contributing to theoretical advancements and practical implications for educational management.