Sports education is an important factor of psychological well-being, cognitive focus and social development but this aspect is very little discussed in the literature, especially in case of China. This study aims to find the relationship among sports education, psychological well-being, social development, strategic capacity, and environmental awareness in China. Moreover, the mediating role of psychological well-being and strategic capacity is also explored. Data were collected from 869 Chinese individuals using a structured questionnaire based on previously validated Likert-scale instruments measuring six constructs: sports education, psychological well-being, social development, cognitive focus, strategic capacity, and environmental awareness. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied for empirical analysis. The results reveal that sports education has a significant positive effect on social development (β = 0.431, p < 0.01), psychological well-being (β = 0.401, p < 0.01), environmental awareness (β = 0.485, p < 0.01), cognitive focus (β = 0.452, p < 0.01), strategic capacity (β = 0.447, p < 0.01). Moreover, psychological well-being significantly mediates the relationship between sports education and cognitive focus (indirect effect β = 0.475, p < 0.01), suggesting that improved emotional stability and mental resilience foster enhanced cognitive functioning among individuals engaged in sports. Additionally, strategic capacity significantly mediates the relationship between sports education and social development (indirect effect β = 0.415, p < 0.01), indicating that individuals with higher strategic thinking skills derive greater social benefits from sports participation. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers and sports organizations seeking to maximize the benefits of sports education in promoting psychological well-being, social development, and strategic capacity in China.
Yang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.