The influence of the teacher’s prosocial skills on the mindwandering, creative intelligence, emotions, and academic performance of secondary students in the area of physical education classes

Abstract

Physical Education classes are a key context for the development of creativity due to interactions with peers and the resolution of complex motor skills. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the influence of the teacher's social behaviors on the mindwandering, emotional state, and academic performance of Physical Education students. The study involved 606 high school students and 36 physical education teachers. A structural equation model was used to analyze the relationship between the variables of the study. The results showed how the teacher's prosocial and antisocial behaviors had a negative influence on mindwandering. In turn, mindwandering negatively predicted creative intelligence. Likewise, creative intelligence positively predicted a positive emotional state and academic performance and negatively predicted a negative emotional state. Finally, a positive emotional state positively predicted academic performance, while a negative emotional state predicted it negatively. Therefore, the results achieved in the study showed how mindwandering should be promoted in the educational field as a means of encouraging creativity and therefore increasing the well-being of students, which is conducive to academic performance.