The Influence of Social Support on the Job Involvement of Newly Hired Physical Education Teachers: A Study Based on SOR and COR Theories

This study, grounded in Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) theory and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, explores how social support impacts job involvement among newly hired physical education (PE) teachers, with a focus on the mediating role of professional mission. A survey was conducted with 238 new PE teachers, using scales for social support, professional mission, and job involvement. The results indicate the following: (1) Social support and its dimensions significantly and positively influence job involvement among new PE teachers; (2) Professional mission positively impacts job involvement and serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between social support and job involvement; (3) Different types of social support have varying effects on job involvement, with support utilization having the largest impact, followed by objective support, and finally subjective support.