Beyond words: developing a scale to measure the embodied professional literacy of K-12 physical education teachers

Background: In physical education (PE), the teacher's body serves as the primary instrument of instruction. However, existing evaluations often fail to capture this context-specific "embodied" nature, typically reducing professional competency to either abstract cognitive beliefs or generic physical fitness. Objective: To address this epistemological gap, this study conceptualizes and psychometrically validates the Physical Education Teachers' Embodied Professional Literacy Scale (PE-TEPLS), innovatively operationalizing the "pedagogical body" in the K-12 context. Methods: = 20), the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and a cross-sectional survey of 1,665 PE teachers in China. Data underwent Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (EFA/CFA). CFA corroborated this correlated model, and Multi-Group CFA confirmed scalar invariance across gender. Reliability and discriminant validity were robustly established. Results: Psychometric analyses confirmed a robust 45-item structure across five dimensions: embodied moral cultivation, motor ability basis, situational interaction, teaching transformation, and lifelong development. CFA corroborated this correlated model, and Multi-Group CFA confirmed scalar invariance across gender. Reliability and discriminant validity were robustly established. Conclusion: The PE-TEPLS provides a psychometrically robust and equitable instrument for assessing PE teachers. By theoretically legitimizing "embodied action" and prioritizing the "pedagogical body" over the "athletic body," this study offers a new paradigm for evaluating teacher professionalism beyond verbal and cognitive metrics.