Teacher Adaptability and Student Development in Online Teaching Environments: A Survey of Teachers of Chinese Mathematics Competitions for Gifted Students

Despite advancements in information and technology, the benefits of online education for mathematically gifted students remain underexplored. In response, this study investigated the impacts of teacher competencies on students’ sustainable development in online mathematics competition education, examining the mediating role of teaching practice and the moderating role of teacher adaptability. Based on survey data from 289 Chinese mathematics competition teachers, the current research yielded the following findings: (1) Online teaching efficacy exerted a stronger positive influence on sustainable development compared with competition teaching professionalism, establishing the crucial role of technological competence in online education. (2) Teaching engagement and teaching practice significantly mediated the relationship between teacher competencies and sustainable development, with teaching engagement demonstrating stronger effects. (3) Teacher adaptability emerged as a significant moderator, empowering teaching practices and their effectiveness in promoting students’ sustainable development. These findings construct an integrated theoretical framework for understanding the translation of teacher competencies into student outcomes in online mathematics competition education, providing evidence-based guidance for enhancing teaching effectiveness in mathematics gifted education.