اولویت بندی صلاحیت های حرفه ای معلمان تربیت بدنی با رویکرد AHP

Introduction
Success in any organization requires a specialized workforce, and the professional competencies of teachers play a crucial and fundamental role in achieving the goals and progress of the educational system. Physical education is an important aspect of the educational system that has a great impact on the physical and mental development of students. Physical education is known as an important tool for teaching physical activities to students. Physical education teachers play a fundamental role in shaping the behavior, attitude, skills, and providing students with the necessary information for physical activities; therefore, identifying the factors affecting their job performance is of great importance. The competencies and skills of teachers are important for their effectiveness and the achievement of the goals of the school and the education system. As a result, it can be said that the professional qualifications of teachers play a fundamental role in the quality of education. The teaching profession is based on professional skills and competencies, which are called “professional competencies” for short. These competencies enable teachers to effectively carry out their professional duties.
In a study, the initial model of teachers' professional competencies was developed in five dimensions: professional knowledge, professional skills, professional abilities, professional attitude, and professional characteristics (Majedi, Naderi & Seif Naraghi, 2019). Also, Mirhosseini, Aghaei & Saffari (2019) considered five dimensions of behavioral, emotional, cognitive, skill, and educational competencies essential for teachers.
Today, given the extensive changes in structures, educational programs, and student demographics, as well as the lack of necessary skills to deal with new conditions, the need to rebuild teachers' professional identity has become apparent, because achieving educational efficiency largely depends on the ability and effectiveness of teachers (Aminbeidokhti et al., 2022). The present study was conducted to prioritize the professional competencies of physical education teachers in the city of Nowshahr. In this research, professional competencies refer to three competencies: cognitive-skill competencies, attitudinal-behavioral competencies, and managerial competencies.
Methodology
The statistical population of this research included all physical education teachers in Nowshahr, and the research sample was selected as a full count from the research community. The data collection tool is the Professional Competencies of Teachers of Mollaeenezhad (2013) Questionnaire. This questionnaire has 3 subscales of cognitive-skill competencies, attitudinal-behavioral competencies, and managerial competencies, in the form of 27 questions. 5 questions (questions 1 to 5) are intended to measure cognitive-skill competencies, 7 questions (questions 6 to 12) are intended to measure attitudinal-behavioral competencies, and 15 questions (questions 13 to 27) are intended to measure managerial competencies. The validity and reliability of this questionnaire have been examined and confirmed in the research of Mollaeenezhad (2013). In order to examine the face and content validity of the research tool, the opinions of professors and educational experts were used. Also, in order to examine the reliability of the research tool, the Cronbach's alpha method was used. For this purpose, in a preliminary study conducted, the reliability of the cognitive-skill competencies component was 0.910, the attitudinal-behavioral competencies was 0.899, the managerial competencies was 0.898, and the reliability of the entire questionnaire was 0.958, which confirms the acceptable reliability of the research tool. A one-sample T-test was employed to determine the status of the research variables, and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was used to rank the professional competencies of the teachers to analyze the research dat. Research data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16 and Expert Choice software.
Results
The description of the demographic characteristics of the research sample showed that the majority of the participants in the study (60%) were male. The majority of the research sample (44%) had between 6 and 10 years of work experience. Also, the majority of the research sample (48%) was in the age range between 31 and 40 years and the lowest (2%) was in the age range of 61 years and above, and 54% of them had a bachelor's degree. Also, the results showed that the average of the research variables has a significant difference with the number 3. Therefore, with 95% confidence, we can say that three competencies (cognitive, attitudinal, and managerial) were effective in evaluating the professional competencies of physical education teachers. In addition, the results of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) showed that among the professional qualifications of physical education teachers, managerial qualifications rank first; attitudinal-behavioral qualifications rank second; and cognitive-skill qualifications rank third.
 Discussion
Teachers are recognized as the most important resource for educational systems, because professional teachers base their work-related judgments, actions, and decisions on a specialized, systematic, and scientific system of shared professional knowledge and values, and must always develop further professional competencies in their work (Mezza, 2022). Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of prioritizing the professional competencies of physical education teachers in Nowshahr city.
The results of the study showed that among the professional competencies of physical education teachers in Nowshahr city, managerial competencies were ranked first. Management skills for a physical education teacher are not limited to teaching sports and physical activities, but also include a wide range of vital abilities such as classroom management, organization, communication, and leadership. These skills include the ability to communicate effectively with students, plan lessons and effectively guide the educational process, teamwork and cooperation skills, maintain discipline in the classroom, and reveal the potential of students (Ryskalıyev et al., 2024). Attitudinal competencies, ranked second in priority, are an important factor influencing a teacher's interest in a particular teaching style. Teachers' attitudes influence what and how students learn and are a major factor influencing knowledge acquisition and motivation to learn. In this framework, attitude can also be defined as a mental concept that describes positive or negative feelings towards an instructional strategy. A teacher who has a positive attitude can create an environment and encourage students to have a positive attitude towards studying a subject or a particular behavior (Chiriacescu et al., 2023). Cognitive competencies, which are ranked third among other competencies, have been identified as a key factor in the teaching learning process. Cognitive functioning refers to abilities and skills such as memory, attention, and thinking that are essential for learning, modeling behavior, and achieving personal goals (D. Borag, 2022).
Conclusion
According to the results of the present study, in order to further promote and improve managerial competencies, it is suggested that school principals in Nowshahr city hold special training courses in classroom management and leadership skills for all teachers, including new teachers. Also, considering the role of attitudinal competencies in the professional competencies of physical education teachers, it is suggested that the Education Department of Nowshahr city hold meetings, invite managers and other experienced and superior teachers to exchange experiences and group meetings to help new teachers improve their attitudes towards teaching. In addition, providing appropriate budget and planning for holding advanced training courses can be fruitful in increasing the qualifications and competencies of teachers. Considering the direct impact of teachers' professional competencies on students' interest in physical education and promoting their physical activity, physical education planners and policymakers can utilize the results of this study to select qualified teachers.
Keywords: Analytical Hierarchy Process, Physical Education, Professional Competency, School, Sports, Teacher
JEL Classification: A2, A20, I2, I21