As growing attention is paid to physical development and health literacy in kindergarten education, the demand for teachers’ competency in physical education (PE) continues to rise. However, existing research largely focuses on individual professional qualities, lacking a systematic view of the multiple ecological factors that shape teachers’ PE teaching. Drawing on ecological systems theory, this study aims to develop a support system encompassing personal, institutional, societal, and policy layers, investigating how these elements interact to influence teachers’ pedagogical practices and professional growth. Using a qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured interviews to collect data. Through purposive sampling, 12 in-service teachers from five kindergartens in Hangzhou were selected, ensuring diversity in location, institution type, and teaching experience. Interviews were held in the participants’ real work contexts, guided by open-ended questions about personal backgrounds, PE teaching practices, institutional support, and external resources and policies. Each interview was recorded and transcribed with consent, then coded and analyzed in stages by two researchers to identify core categories reflecting teachers’ needs for PE teaching competency support. Four main themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (1) teachers’ professional knowledge and beliefs are key to effective PE planning and implementation; (2) collaborative school-based research and peer support significantly foster teaching innovation and ongoing professional development; (3) external resources from communities and organizations, as well as policy and training support from educational authorities, enrich opportunities for teachers; and (4) at the macro level, social culture and parental attitudes shape teachers’ perspectives on early childhood PE. Findings indicate that enhancing kindergarten teachers’ PE teaching competency requires not only individual effort but also institutional, societal, and policy-driven support. Echoing existing literature on multidimensional influences in teacher development, this study further reveals how parental engagement and sociocultural climate can facilitate or hinder PE instruction. These insights offer valuable implications for designing multi-level support strategies for kindergarten administrators, teacher training providers, and policymakers. Given the limited sampling scope, future research should expand geographic and sociocultural contexts and incorporate quantitative measures for broader generalizability.
Shuang Wu (Thu,) studied this question.