Surface Acting and Turnover Intention Among Physical Education Teachers: A Two-Wave Study of Need Frustration Burnout, Work Engagement, and Social Support

Physical education (PE) teachers face substantial emotional demands while managing instruction, student safety, participation, and school sport activities. This study examined the associations between surface acting and turnover intention, considering the roles of basic psychological need frustration, burnout, work engagement, and social support. A two-wave survey was conducted among school-based PE teachers in China using convenience and snowball sampling. Of the 453 valid responses at Time 1, 386 were successfully matched at Time 2, with a median interval of approximately 35 days. Baseline-adjusted regression analyses revealed that Time 1 surface acting was positively associated with Time 2 need frustration, while perceived social support negatively moderated this association. At Time 2, need frustration was positively associated with burnout and negatively associated with work engagement. In turn, burnout was positively associated with turnover intention, whereas work engagement showed a negative association. These findings highlight the relevance of basic psychological need frustration and perceived social support to understanding emotional labor among PE teachers. Although the findings do not establish causal relationships, they offer insights into the interplay between emotional labor, psychological well-being, and turnover intention, providing a basis for future longitudinal research and intervention development.