Relations among teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, engagement, and work satisfaction: A social cognitive view

Well-Being Profiles of Pre-service Teachers in Hong Kong: Associations with Teachers' Self-Efficacy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The present study aims to (1) identify the profiles of subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) in a sample of pre-service teachers during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, and (2) explore how different profiles are linked with teachers' self-efficacy. Participants were 291 pre-service teachers (Mage = 21.295, SD = 2.812, female = 89.903%) who were invited to complete self-report measures of SWB, PWB, and teachers' self-efficacy. Latent profile analysis with maximum likelihood estimation was conducted to identify well-being profiles that emerged in this sample. The results suggested a 3-class model with a high, moderate, and low well-being group. The findings also revealed that the pre-service teachers' well-being profiles as reflected by SWB and PWB indicators were consistent. Moreover, the pre-service teachers in the higher well-being group reported higher teaching self-efficacy than those in the lower well-being group. Findings highlighted the benefits of supporting pre-service teachers' well-being (i.e., SWB and PWB) to maintain their teachers' self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic when teacher education and practicum are significantly disrupted. Interventions targeting various positive psychological skills (e.g., mindfulness, self-compassion, and positive reappraisal) are warranted. Future investigation is needed to examine the longitudinal relationship between pre-service teachers' well-being and self-efficacy.

English as a foreign language teachers' burnout: The predicator powers of self-efficacy and well-being

Educators have recently garnered significant focus for the crucial role they play, particularly concerning their emotions. These emotions have the potential to either boost their progress in their profession or hinder their progress, like burnout which may trigger or intensify poor mental health and quit the job. Burnout arises from the intermittent occurrence of emotional distress among English as a foreign language (EFL) educators as they fulfill their professional duties. To shed more light on the issue, it is fundamental to contemplate the teacher's belief in their capabilities, known as self-efficacy, which can reduce the probability of burnout and prevent work-related stress while also promoting beneficial results. Moreover, it has been evidenced that the vital role of educators' well-being is prominent in this procedure. Therefore, the importance of these two constructs concerning the impact they have on teacher burnout was taken into consideration in this study. To achieve this objective, a group of 403 English educators participated in the measurement of the concepts being studied. To scrutinize the causal connections between the variables, a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach was employed. The study showed that teachers' efficacy in their ability to perform their job effectively was responsible for explaining 82 % of changes in burnout, while their level of well-being played a role in accounting for 42 % of changes in teachers' burnout levels. The data disclosed that while every factor independently contributed to burnout, the self-efficacy of the teachers held greater influence as a predictor of burnout in comparison to their well-being. Ultimately, particular academic suggestions are specified.

Navigating Uncertainty: Teachers' Insights on Their Preservice Training and Its Influence on Self-Efficacy during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This quantitative study investigates teachers' perceptions of self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the correlation between these perceptions and the preservice training they received. The research addresses the cognitive connection between teachers' current self-efficacy, particularly their satisfaction with and appreciation of preservice lecturers. The connection between self-efficacy and "cognitive connection" lies in the intricate interplay of cognitive processes, observational learning, and the formation of beliefs and perceptions. The way individuals cognitively process information, make connections between experiences, and interpret feedback significantly influences their self-efficacy beliefs and behaviors. Utilizing a retrospective lens, the study reveals a significant correlation between teachers' evaluation of their preservice training, especially their appreciation of lecturers, and their present self-efficacy. The findings highlight that teachers, amidst the challenges of the pandemic, evaluated their self-efficacy at a remarkably high level. This underscores their resilience during a period of unprecedented uncertainty demanding substantial personal and professional adaptability. The nuanced interplay observed suggests that teachers' sense of self-efficacy serves as a predictive variable of their mental and professional resilience when confronting uncertainty and navigating rapid and profound changes, as exemplified by the exigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exploring Lithuanian social workers' attitudes towards individuals with alcohol usage problems

Aim: Social workers are at the front line of helping individuals experiencing alcohol usage, due to their professional duties, ideology and values that underpin it. In Lithuania, where social work still continues to develop in both practice and education, it is crucial to supplement with relevant information to strengthen social work's response to issues with alcohol usage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore social workers' attitudes towards individuals with alcohol usage problems. Methods: In total, 149 Lithuanian social workers completed a web survey that gathered information about education, work experience and workplace, and filled in the Short Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire (SAAPPQ) to measure their attitude towards individuals with alcohol usage problems. Results: The social workers showed a positive attitude towards individuals with alcohol usage problems (mean 35.81 [SD 4.8]). Attitude domain analysis revealed Role Legitimacy (91.3% above the midpoint) to reflect the most positive attitudes and Work Satisfaction (24.2% above the midpoint) to reflect the least positive attitudes. Those with master's degrees scored higher on the total SAAPPQ (t = -2.44, p = 0.016) and its subscales Work Satisfaction (t = -2.52, p = 0.013) and Therapeutic Commitment (t = -2.21, p = 0.029). Having 6-13 years of work experience (mean SAAPPQ = 37.02 [SD 5.11]) was associated with a more positive attitude compared to those with less than 5 years of experience (mean SAAPPQ = 34.08 [SD 3.87]). Conclusion: Although social workers understand their professional responsibility to work with individuals with alcohol usage problems, their dedication to work, motivation and task-specific self-esteem are low. The results also support education, as those with master's degrees showed more positive attitudes. This study further encourages support for social workers just beginning their career, who might report lower attitudes towards individuals with alcohol usage problems.

Train to sustain: a randomised controlled trial evaluation of a vitality training employing behaviour-change techniques

Introduction

This paper reports on the effects of a 9-week vitality training that employed behaviour-change techniques and was evaluated using a randomised controlled trial (RCT) in three large companies based in the Netherlands.

Methods

A total of 84 adult employees from three participating organisations in the Netherlands were enrolled in the study. A parallel group RCT design was employed and participants were assigned using individual random assignment to either an intervention (n = 38) or a waitlist control group (n = 46). The intervention consisted of a 9-week vitality training employing the behaviour-change techniques of self-persuasion, implementation intentions, and self-efficacy, which was delivered in-house over five fortnightly 2-hour sessions. Primary outcomes (i.e., reported energy and stress) and secondary outcomes (i.e., reported daily life satisfaction and work capacity) were assessed prior to, immediately after, and 3 months following the intervention.

Results

A mixed MANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect between treatment group and time period for the combination of reported energy, stress, daily life satisfaction, and work capacity. Subsequent univariate ANOVAs revealed significant interactions between treatment group and time period for reported energy, stress, and daily life satisfaction; however, not for reported work capacity. Improvements in outcomes were observed for both groups following their completion of the vitality training; however, not all improvements reached statistical significance. Reported self-efficacy regarding managing work-life balance was found to mediate the relationship between the effects of the intervention and reported energy; however, such an effect was not found for stress.

Discussion

An intervention drawing upon evidence-based behaviour-change techniques shows promise for improving indicators associated with burnout; although, it is recommended that in future research a larger-scale evaluation be conducted over a longer time period with an active control group to establish effectiveness.Clinical trial registration: https://www.anzctr.org.au/, ACTRN12622001268730.

Predicting Teaching Enjoyment from Teachers' Perceived School Climate, Self-Efficacy, and Psychological Wellbeing at Work: EFL Teachers

We tested an assessment model, by which teacher self-efficacy, perceived school climate, and psychological wellbeing at work, might predict teaching enjoyment. We invited a convenience sample of 355 teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) to respond to four online questionnaires. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to check the scales' construct validity and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test associations among the variables. Our results showed that teacher self-efficacy, perceived school-climate, and psychological wellbeing were direct predictors of foreign language teaching-enjoyment (FLTE). Teacher self-efficacy affected FLTE indirectly, as induced by psychological well-being. School climate also indirectly influenced FLTE, as mediated by teacher self-efficacy and psychological wellbeing, with school climate a direct predictor of teacher self-efficacy and psychological wellbeing. Teacher self-efficacy directly affected psychological wellbeing. We discuss implications of these findings for teacher-education programs.

Psychometric properties of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale in a sample of Chilean public school teachers

The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) has demonstrated suitable levels of reliability and validity for its use on the teacher population in several countries, and it is the most used scale to assess teachers' beliefs in their efficacy. However, few psychometric studies exist on its applicability to elementary teachers in public schools. This study analyzed the psychometric properties of the TSES in teachers who work in elementary education. The sample comprised 1,406 Chilean teachers, mainly women (77.2%), from various Chilean public and subsidized schools. The results obtained from three confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the model that best fit the data was bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (B-ESEM) for 24 items, one general factor, and three residual factors. The results of the factorial invariance analysis indicate that the TSES remains stable up to the strict level of invariance for the variable sex. These results imply that the TSES can be used on Chilean teachers. The results are discussed based on the theoretical and empirical evidence available.

The Impact of Self-Efficacy on Nurses' Well-Being: Does Digital Competence Matter?

PURPOSE

Drawing on person-environment fit theory and social cognitive theory, this study aimed to examine how self-efficacy affects nurses' workplace well-being via person-job fit and the moderating role of digital competence.

METHODS

A two-wave survey was conducted to collect data. Data were collected from six hundred and ninety-five nurses at three Chinese hospitals between May 2022 and September 2022. We employed hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrapping to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Self-efficacy positively influenced person-job fit (β = .55, p < .001), which positively affected nurses' workplace well-being (β = .32, p < .001). Person-job fit mediated the effect of self-efficacy on nurses' workplace well-being. Additionally, digital competence strengthened the positive impact of self-efficacy on person-job fit (β = .12, p < .001).

CONCLUSION

Recruiting nurses with both self-efficacy and digital competence benefits hospitals. It is critical for nurses to improve their digital competence for achieving person-job fit and attaining workplace well-being in the post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era.

Self-efficacy, reflection, and resilience as predictors of work engagement among English teachers

Introduction

Given the significant role of work engagement of teachers in educational contexts, some scholarly attention has been directed to exploring the predictors of this construct. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to investigate the predictors of teacher work engagement among Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers by testing a model that includes teacher self-efficacy, teacher reflection, and teacher resilience.

Methods

To achieve this goal, 512 EFL teachers were invited to participate in an online survey, which consisted of four questionnaires. The construct validity of the measures was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. Then, structural equation modeling was utilized to examine the relationships between the variables.

Results

The findings indicated that teacher self-efficacy, teacher reflection, and teacher resilience were direct predictors of work engagement, and teacher self-efficacy had an indirect effect on work engagement via teacher reflection and resilience. Similarly, teacher reflection also had an indirect impact on work engagement through teacher resilience.

Discussion

These results have important implications for teacher education programs. The significance of these predictors of work engagement among EFL teachers highlights the importance of fostering self-efficacy, reflection, and resilience among teachers in order to promote their work engagement. Further research can explore ways to enhance these predictors through training and support programs for teachers.

Reflective teaching and academic optimism as correlates of work engagement among university instructors

As teaching is a complex and demanding activity especially in university and higher education contexts, exploring the correlates of work engagement in university contexts seems to be a promising research area. As an attempt to further clarify this research area, this study sought to examine the significance of reflective teaching and academic optimism as correlates of work engagement among university instructors in Iran. Having been selected via convenience sampling, a sample of 289 Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) university instructors participated in this survey. The electronic versions of the scales of teacher academic optimism, reflective teaching, and work engagement were administered to the participants. Initially, the construct validity of the scales was verified for the university contexts via performing confirmatory factor analysis. Then the hypothesized structural relationships among the constructs were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results demonstrated that both reflective teaching and academic optimism significantly predicted work engagement among English university instructors. Some notable implications are finally discussed based on these findings.

School resource inadequacy and school social engagement: Mediating effect of principals' stress

This study is intended to assess and help us understand the role of school resource inadequacy (SRI) on school social engagement (SSE). The authors also utilize this opportunity to analyze the influence of school resource inadequacies on principal stress (PS) and the influence of PS on SSE. School administrators would stand to benefit by understanding the direct influences of school resource inadequacies on SSE, the direct influence of school resource inadequacies on PS, the direct influence of PS on SSE, and the interactional effect of school resource inadequacies and PS on SSE. This study utilizes data from the "Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) Principal Questionnaire," 2018 available for England (United Kingdom). The respondents for this survey are principals of public and private schools in England (United Kingdom). Cronbach alpha values were calculated for the variables to confirm the reliability of variables considered for this study. Also used in this study are the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and the Andrew F. Hayes model 4 to test the mediating influence and interactional effects. SPSS 23.0 was used for the purpose of data analysis and the output tables are from the results of the tests done using SPSS. The results reiterate the relationship between SRI and PS. This study also establishes the relationship between PS and SSE as being negative, meaning that the lower the PS greater is the SSE. Results also show evidence of the relationship between SRI and SSE, meaning that adequate school resources have a positive influence on SSE. Further, the mediating effect of PS on SSE and SRI was also tested and established. The findings of this study are important for school administrators and regulators in understanding the relationship between school resources, SSE, and the mediating influence of PS. This study establishes the relationship between SRI and PS, SRI and SSE, PS, and SSE. The research is also unique as it establishes the mediating influence of PS.

English as a foreign language teacher engagement with culturally responsive teaching in rural schools: Insights from China

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) has been found to promote student engagement and enhance learning in the classroom. As an effective pedagogy, the past decade has witnessed a soaring interest in exploring teachers’ competence, self-efficacy, and influencing factors in implementing CRT across school subjects. However, scant attention has been directed to language teachers’ engagement with CRT. Given the increasing diversity in students’ socio-economic status, cultural backgrounds, learning needs and preferences in English language classrooms, CRT has also become a prominent concern in China. This study sets out to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher engagement with CRT in rural schools in China. With a multi-case study of eight EFL teachers, the researchers collected data through individual interviews and classroom observations. Four types of teacher engagement based on the foci (i.e., knowledge and practice) were identified and were further characterized by cognitive, emotional, and social aspects. This study also taps into the internal and external factors influencing the teachers’ engagement with CRT. Implications and suggestions were provided to tackle the problems of English Language Education in rural China and contexts alike worldwide.

Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Employees with Mental Disorders or Musculoskeletal Diseases after Sickness-Related Absence: Validation of the German Version of the Return-to-Work Self-Efficacy Scale

Return-to-work self-efficacy (RTW-SE) is an important predictor of the duration until employees return to work after a sickness-related absence. The aim of the present validation study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the German RTW-SE scale. Data were obtained from three independent samples of employees who were in outpatient care due to mental disorders or musculoskeletal diseases (n₁ = 301, n₂ = 103, n₃ = 104). Confirmatory factor analyses showed an inadequate fit for a one-factor solution and an acceptable fit for a two-factor model that distinguished by item-wording direction. To test whether the two factors represent substantively different dimensions of the construct or rather a statistical item-wording effect, two subscales were formed based on item-wording direction. As the subscales were not differentially associated with external measures, the one-factor solution may be considered appropriate. The scale showed good to excellent internal consistency values over time and across samples, had low retest reliability indices, and indicated construct validity based on moderate to high associations with cognitive and disease-related variables. The results further demonstrated the scale's sensitivity to change. The RTW-SE baseline score predicted physical performance and pain-related psychological impairment after orthopedic rehabilitation. In multiple regression analysis, RTW-SE remained a significant predictor of pain-related psychological impairment but not physical performance, partially demonstrating the predictive validity of the scale. The German version of the RTW-SE scale demonstrated satisfactory results regarding its validity and reliability.

How perceived school culture relates to work engagement among primary and secondary school teachers? Roles of affective empathy and job tenure

Evidence suggests that perceived school culture is the most powerful predictor of teachers' work performance. However, studies to date have paid little attention to the potential mechanisms behind this association. On the basis of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, the present study explored the mediating role of affective empathy and the moderating role of job tenure in the association between perceived school culture and teachers' work engagement. 647 primary and secondary school teachers completed questionnaires measuring perceived school culture, affective empathy, and work engagement. After gender and educational level were included as covariates, the results showed that perceived school culture positively correlated with teachers' work engagement, and more importantly, this association was partially mediated by affective empathy. In addition, job tenure significantly moderated the direct association between perceived school culture and work engagement. Specifically, there was a stronger association between perceived school culture and work engagement for teachers with shorter job tenure than those with longer job tenure. The findings suggested the direct effect of perceived school culture on work engagement, and the indirect effect of perceived school culture on work engagement through the mediating role of affective empathy. These findings enrich our understanding of how perceived school culture associates with work engagement, and highlight the moderating role of job tenure in the direct association between perceived school culture and work engagement.

Enhancing Chinese EFL Teachers’ Work Engagement: The Role of Self and Collective Efficacy

Teachers’ work engagement is considered an essential component in instruction. Accordingly, the emphasis should be over physical and mental predictors of this construct. In this line, this study investigates the relationship between Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ individual self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and work engagement. To this end, 300 Chinese instructors (males = 96, females = 204) from different colleges and universities participated in this study. The questionnaires were distributed among teachers with different educational levels and experiences. Linear multiple regression was used as a measure for data analysis. The findings showed the significant correlations between teachers’ work engagement, self-efficacy, and collective efficacy. Comparing the predictability power, teachers’ self-efficacy (B = 0.57) proved to have a higher index compared to their index of collective efficacy competence (B = 0.22). This study concluded that self-efficacious teachers and teachers who believe in collective efficacy are more engaged in the EFL contexts. Moreover, the study has some pedagogical implications and suggestions for different teacher educators, administrators, and advisors.

Effects of Teacher Engagement on Students' Achievement in an Online English as a Foreign Language Classroom: The Mediating Role of Autonomous Motivation and Positive Emotions

As an important factor promoting students' learning behavior and achievement, teacher engagement has been largely neglected in the research literature on English as a foreign language (EFL) and applied linguistics. Moreover, the few studies have focused more on conventional classrooms rather than online learning contexts and failed to reveal how teacher engagement in the online foreign language classroom affected students' achievement. The present study assessed 546 university students in China using self-report questionnaires to examine the relationship between teacher engagement and students' achievement in an online EFL course over an 18-week semester, taking into account the possible mediating effects of autonomous motivation and positive academic emotions. The results showed that teacher engagement exerted a direct and positive impact on students' English achievement. Students' autonomous motivation and enjoyment mediated the association between teacher engagement and English achievement, but the mediating effects of relief were not significant. Additionally, teacher engagement affected students' English achievement through the chain mediation of autonomous motivation and positive academic emotions (enjoyment and relief). Relief displayed a smaller effect on students' English achievement than enjoyment did. These findings elucidate the impact of teacher engagement on students' English achievement in the online environment and support the utility of self-determination theory and control-value theory in explaining foreign language learning. Directions for future research and implications for education are also presented.

Exploring a Structural Model of Teaching Enjoyment, Teacher Self-Efficacy, and Work Engagement

Due to the complexity of teaching, determining the variables influencing teachers' work engagement is a rewarding research area. In line with this research agenda, the purpose of this study was to test a structural model of work engagement based on teacher self-efficacy and teaching enjoyment among English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. For this purpose, 315 Iranian English instructors completed an online survey. Initially, the measurement models for the three latent variables were averred via conducting confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Following that, structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the hypothesized model. SEM results showed that both self-efficacy and teaching enjoyment were the significant predictors of teachers' work engagement, although teacher self-efficacy was a stronger predictor than teaching enjoyment. The findings might have notable implications for English teachers.

The mediating role of emotions in the relation between beliefs and teachers' job satisfaction

This study investigates the patterns of relations between beliefs, emotions, and job satisfaction in 249 Italian in-service teachers. Participants were assessed on their growth and fixed mindsets, self-efficacy beliefs, emotions associated with various components of their professional engagement and job satisfaction. Mediational analyses shed light on the mediating role of teaching and role emotions in the relation between beliefs and job satisfaction. Specifically, teachers' high self-efficacy beliefs positively impact on job satisfaction if negative teaching and role emotions are contained at low levels.

The Role of Teacher-Student Relationships in Predicting Teachers' Occupational Wellbeing, Emotional Exhaustion, and Enthusiasm

Wellbeing is regarded as a core dimension of an individual's prosperity in the field of positive psychology. Underlying this multifaceted framework are emotive, mental, and societal forms of wellbeing, which can be based on constructive connections in the workplace. Career wellbeing among educators is linked to optimal mental functioning and their positive career experience is characterized in terms of the existence of constructive dimensions like enthusiasm at the workplace. Also, emotional exhaustion or fatigue is another central element in the research on educator burnout and it has an important effect on educators' expert lives, alternatively, the excellence of teacher-student relationships is significant in the process of language learning. Due to the significant effect of the above-mentioned construct, this review tries to focus on the prominence of teacher-student relationships in this domain. The results from the review of the literature specified that high-value teacher-student relationships keep educators away from being emotionally exhausted since it can enhance the quantity of enthusiasm and lessen the amount of exhaustion. In a nutshell, this review of literature has suggestions for academics and experts in search of increasing teachers' occupational wellbeing.

Teachers' Commitment and Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Work Engagement and Well-Being

In the field of language-education psychology, the psychology of educators was not at the center of attention to some extent, despite the immense attention given to the psychology of students. Recently, positive psychology has become very important as it puts more emphasis on the constructive dimensions of life and it regards individual well-being as a major problem for individuals’ achievement. Since the core of an instructing institution is the educators, their well-being must be prioritized in the academic circumstances to both improve students’ skills and to motivate and inspire participation and involvement in the class. Moreover, teacher engagement is viewed as another significant factor in this realm that refers to people’s outlook toward their job, impacting their emotional attendance and engagement during their presentation. Also, there is an inner force that pushes educators to put more time and strength in maintaining participation in the school that is called educator commitment that is determined on evolving the school builds an emotive connection between educators and schools. It eventually encourages educators to improve their instructing careers and find ways to create a successful educational setting that would enable learners to attain their goals. In addition, teacher self-efficacy, including educators’ convictions in their skill to successfully manage assignments, responsibilities, and difficulties associated with their expert activity, has an important function in affecting key scholastic results in the career setting. By taking the aforementioned constructs, this review of literature provides implications for academics, teachers, and policymakers in search of better considering the functions of commitment and self-efficacy on their work engagement and well-being.

The Influence of Mental Health on Job Satisfaction: Mediating Effect of Psychological Capital and Social Capital

Using data from the 2018 Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS), based on the mood-congruent theory, this study aims to explore the mechanisms of mental health on job satisfaction from the internal perspective (psychological capital) and external perspective (social capital). The results showed that (1) the two components of mental health have different effects on job satisfaction. The positive component of mental health had a positive effect on job satisfaction, while the negative component of mental health had a negative effect on job satisfaction; (2) Psychological capital and social capital play a mediating role in the relationship between mental health and job satisfaction. (3) After considering the potential endogenous problems between mental health and job satisfaction and conducting additional robustness analysis, including changing dependent variable and changing independent variable, our main results and influence mechanisms are remain robust and reliable. With the emergence of an increasingly competitive knowledge economy era, employees' mental health plays an important role in job satisfaction. Thus, it is imperative for managers to enhance employees' job satisfaction and better implement humanistic management by nurturing employees' psychological and social capital through the mental health.

The Relationship Between EFL Teachers' Personality Traits, Communication Strategies, and Work Engagement

This review strives to shed light on the related studies on the relationship between English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' personality traits, communication strategies, and their work engagement. The positive correlation between teachers' personality traits and work engagement has been confirmed in the review of the literature. Furthermore, studies have proved the relationship between teachers' communication strategies and personality traits. No studies have been done on the direct relationship between teachers' communication strategies and work engagement. However, the studies showed that some factors, such as teacher self-efficacy and willingness to communicate, can mediate the relationship between teachers' communication strategies and work engagement. To improve the language teaching quality, the pedagogical implications are explained in the end. Some suggestions for further research are provided to expand the literature about teachers' communication strategies, work engagement, and personality traits.

Exploring the Relationship Among Teacher Emotional Intelligence, Work Engagement, Teacher Self-Efficacy, and Student Academic Achievement: A Moderated Mediation Model

In recent years, many studies have been done to identify the factors that affect teacher emotions at schools. However, the empirical evidence on how teachers' emotions influence students' outcomes and performance is not extensive. Against this background, this study explored the correlation between teacher EI and student academic achievement and possible mechanisms may lie in this relationship. A sample of 365 Chinese teachers from 25 public middle schools participated in this study by completing measurements of teacher EI, teacher work engagement, and teacher self-efficacy. The student academic achievement was assessed by the grades of the previous term (February to June 2020) reported by the students. The results indicated that teacher work engagement partially mediated the path from teacher EI and student academic achievement. Moderated mediation further showed that teachers with high self-efficacy had a more significant positive impact on the relationship between teacher work engagement and student academic achievement than teachers with low self-efficacy. The limitations of this study were also discussed.

Work engagement and financial satisfaction: The role of corporate volunteering and age

BACKGROUND: Work engagement and corporate volunteering increasingly draw the attention of researchers and practitioners because they significantly and positively contribute to individual and organizational outcomes. However, it is not clear whether employee age and financial satisfaction contribute to higher levels of employee engagement and volunteering. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating role of corporate volunteering between financial satisfaction and work engagement, and to explore work engagement and financial satisfaction relations with regard to age and corporate volunteering. METHODS: The study encompassed 1,109 multi-occupational employees of business and public sector in Poland. Work engagement (UWES), corporate volunteering and financial satisfaction measures were applied online. We investigated work engagement, corporate volunteering, and financial satisfaction interaction by means of two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and straightforward mediation analysis using PROCESS. RESULTS: Our results indicate the importance of corporate volunteering as a mediator between financial satisfaction and work engagement: employees participating in corporate volunteering had higher levels of financial satisfaction than those not participating. CONCLUSIONS: Firstly, corporate volunteering should be included in job design to increase work engagement; and secondly, organisations should increase employee financial satisfaction to facilitate corporate volunteering.

Kernel Causality Among Teacher Self-Efficacy, Job Satisfaction, School Climate, and Workplace Well-Being and Stress in TALIS

Teachers play an important role in the educational system. Teacher self-efficacy, job satisfaction, school climate, and workplace well-being and stress are four individual characteristics shown to be associated with tendency to turnover. In this article, data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018 teacher questionnaire are analyzed, with the goal to understand the interplay amongst these four individual characteristics. The main purposes of this study are to (1) measure extreme response style for each scale using unidimensional nominal response models, and (2) investigate the kernel causal paths among teacher self-efficacy, job satisfaction, school climate, and workplace well-being and stress in the TALIS-PISA linked countries/economies. Our findings support the existence of extreme response style, the rational non-normal distribution assumption of latent traits, and the feasibility of kernel causal inference in the educational sector. Results of the present study inform the development of future correlational research and policy making in education.

A multidimensional, person-centred perspective on teacher engagement: Evidence from Canadian and Australian teachers

BACKGROUND

Hitherto, little work has examined the proposition that teachers may simultaneously invest varying degrees of their energetic resources in the teaching and learning environment.

AIMS

Drawing on a multidimensional, person-centred perspective, the study aimed to identify profiles of teacher engagement, reflecting distinct configurations of teachers' energetic investments, and their generalizability across Canadian and Australian teachers. Additionally, we examined teachers' self-efficacy beliefs as predictors of engagement profile membership and the cross-country generalizability of these relations. We also examined emotional exhaustion (EE) and job satisfaction (JS) as outcomes of profile membership in Canadian and Australian teachers, respectively.

SAMPLES

The samples comprised 586 Canadian and 595 Australian teachers.

METHODS

Data on teachers' multidimensional engagement and teacher self-efficacy were collected in both the Canadian and Australian samples. Additionally, data on Canadian teachers' burnout and Australian teachers' job satisfaction were collected.

RESULTS

Latent profile analyses revealed three engagement profiles, representing distinct configurations of teachers' multidimensional energetic investments, which were found to mostly generalize. Additionally, self-efficacy beliefs were found to predict the likelihood of engagement profile membership equally in Canadian and Australian teachers, and EE in Canadian teachers and JS in Australian teachers were found to differ significantly across the profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the study constitute among the first evidence that teachers may be differentially engaged in the teaching environment with respect to their distinct energetic investments, and such differential profiles of engagement have differential implications for well-being-related outcomes and can be predicted by their teaching capability beliefs.

Other-Focused Approach to Teaching. The Effect of Ethical Leadership and Quiet Ego on Work Engagement and the Mediating Role of Compassion Satisfaction

Recent revisions of the Job Demands Resources (JDR) model acknowledged the importance of personal and organizational dimensions enriching job resources' effect on work engagement. Consistently, this paper addresses the role of compassion satisfaction, as a job resource, on teacher work engagement, given the saliency of caring in teaching as a helping profession. Furthermore, quiet ego, as a personal dimension, and ethical leadership, as an organizational dimension, are studied as antecedents of compassion satisfaction. Overall, the study verifies with a Structural Equation Model whether and how compassion satisfaction mediates the relationships among work engagement, quiet ego, and ethical leadership. One hundred and eighty-eight Italian teachers took part in the study by completing four scales: the Ethical Leadership Scale, the Quiet Ego scale, the Professional Quality Of Life Questionnaire, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-ultra-short version. The final model showed a good fit to the data: χ2 ( 48 ) = 75.399, p = 0.007, CFI = 0.979, TLI = 0.971, RMSEA = 0.055 (90% CI = 0.029-0.078, p = 0.342), SRMR = 0.039. Findings showed that teachers' compassion satisfaction is strongly related to their engagement at school, confirming that teachers' care toward their students is an important resource supporting their engagement. Furthermore, compassion satisfaction totally mediates the relationship between quiet ego and work engagement (bDIRECT = ns, bINDIRECT = 0.327, p = 0.000). Such mediating path confirms recent expansions of the JDR model about the role of personal resources on job resources and, consequently, on work engagement and confirms the Conservation of Resources theory, stating that personal resources impact work outcomes. At the same time, compassion satisfaction does not mediate the relationship between ethical leadership and work engagement, so that ethical school leaders directly impact teachers' work engagement. A possible reason for this finding relies on ethical leadership's role in promoting higher school life participation as a community. More theoretical and practical implications are described in the paper.

I am engaged, therefore my students are satisfied! Unleashing the role of teachers' interaction and sensitivity based on self-determination perspective

Purpose

Students' satisfaction is termed as their subjective evaluation of the fulfillment of expectations and pleasure experienced from the teaching services. This study intends to examine the role of teachers' work engagement in inculcating students' satisfaction from their teachers taking a self-determination perspective. It moreover highlights the underlying mechanisms of teacher–student interaction and teachers' sensitivity.

Design/methodology/approach

We used 278 valid and matched responses from teachers and students of higher secondary/intermediate/degree colleges operating in Pakistan through multi-stage sampling. The data were gathered in three waves and multiple mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS model 4 to analyze the data and infer results.

Findings

The results revealed that college teachers' work engagement (i.e. vigor, dedication and absorption) is required to create their willingness and motivation to invest in effective pedagogical decisions and inculcate students' satisfaction. This engagement, in turn, improves their interaction with students and makes them more sensitive in meeting the needs of students that causes students to have satisfying educational experiences.

Originality/value

This research has taken a unique standpoint of considering teachers' engagement as a precursor of students' satisfaction, in contrast to the prior focus on assessing the role of institutional dynamics, demographics and teachers' competence. It has also unraveled the role of teachers' sensitivity and student–teacher interaction in the above-mentioned association based on self-determination theory (SDT). Moreover, it has emphasized the teaching dynamics and its outcomes in the college sector instead of the much-examined university and school settings.

Online teaching self-efficacy during COVID-19: Changes, its associated factors and moderators

Online teaching transition during COVID-19 school lockdown elicited challenges for teachers and schools across the globe. The existing literature on the impact of COVID-19 in the education sector is predominantly descriptive and focused on the difficulties faced by teachers during the process of transferring into online teaching, mainly in the higher education sector. This study adopted a mixed-method design to examine online teaching self-efficacy (TSE) during COVID-19, its associated factors and moderators. A sample of 351 Chinese school teachers retrospectively reported their online TSE at the beginning and end of COVID-19 school lockdown, out of which six were followed up for an in-depth interview. TSE for online instruction did not significantly increase (β = .014, p > 0.05) whereas that for technology application increased significantly (β = .231, p < 0.01). Lack of experience in online teaching, separation of teachers from students, school administrative process and unsatisfactory student academic performance were identified as the major associated factors. A moderation effect of adaptability and teacher burnout on the change in online TSE were examined, of which passion burnout was the only significant moderator toward the change in online TSE. The study thus concluded that teachers' online TSE for technology application increased among Chinese teachers during COVID-19 school lockdown.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10639-021-10486-3.

The mediating role of psychological well-being in the relationship between the psychological contract and professional engagement

This study was conducted using structural equation modelling to examine the relationship between the psychological contract, psychological well-being, and professional engagement. The sample of the study included 416 teachers who were selected using a disproportionate cluster sampling method from primary and middle schools in Turkey. In analysing relations between variables, mediation testing was performed using the structural equation model and the bootstrap method. The results of this study showed that professional engagement is both directly and indirectly affected via psychological well-being by the psychological contract. How teachers perceive the psychological contract is an important variable that shapes their psychological well-being and professional engagement. Accordingly, school administrations should meet these teacher expectations and display attitudes and behaviours that encourage teachers to take active roles in school-related decisions, thereby further increasing the professional engagement of their teachers.

The Interplay of Emotional Intelligence Abilities and Work Engagement on Job and Life Satisfaction: Which Emotional Abilities Matter Most for Secondary-School Teachers?

Emotional intelligence has been underscored as a helpful personal resource in explaining life and job attitudes in human services employees. However, the joint interaction of emotional intelligence (EI) abilities with work engagement to explain life and job attitudes has not been tested. The present study aimed to explore the interactive role of EI abilities with work engagement in the prediction of job and life satisfaction in a sample of Spanish secondary-school teachers. A total of 190 teachers (125 females) participated in the study. Notably, the results showed that only emotion regulation ability (ERA) was significantly associated with work engagement, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Furthermore, ERA moderated the relationship between work engagement and job and life satisfaction. The present findings contribute to current knowledge on EI abilities and personal and job-related correlates of teachers’ work engagement.

A Multilevel Person-Centered Examination of Teachers' Workplace Demands and Resources: Links With Work-Related Well-Being

Teachers’ healthy and effective functioning at work is impacted by the demands they face and the resources they can access. In this study, person-centered analysis was adopted to identify distinct teacher profiles of demands and resources. We investigated teachers’ experiences of two job demands (barriers to professional development and disruptive student behavior), two job resources (teacher collaboration and input in decision-making), and one personal resource (self-efficacy for teaching). Using data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013, the study involved 6,411 teachers from 369 schools in Australia and 2,400 teachers from 154 schools in England. In phase one, latent profile analysis revealed five teacher profiles that were similar across the two countries: the Low-Demand-Flourisher (12%), Mixed-Demand-Flourisher (17%), Job-Resourced-Average (34%), Balanced-Average (15%), and Struggler (21%). The profiles were differently associated with two background characteristics (teacher gender and teaching experience) and two work-related well-being outcomes (job satisfaction and occupational commitment). In phase two, we extended our analysis to the school-level to identify school profiles based on the relative prevalence of the five teacher profiles within a school. Indeed, a yield of large scale datasets such as TALIS is that there are sufficient units at the school-level to enable institutional insights, beyond insights garnered at the individual teacher-level. Two school profiles that were similar in both countries were revealed: the Unsupportive school profile (58%) and the Supportive school profile (42%). The Supportive school profile was associated with higher school-average teacher job satisfaction and occupational commitment than the Unsupportive school profile. Taken together, the findings yield knowledge about salient teacher and school profiles, and provide guidance for possible interventions at the teacher- and school level.

The Interactive Effects of Personal Resources on Teachers' Work Engagement and Withdrawal Intentions: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

This research contributes to the current knowledge on teacher well-being by examining an integrated model with a personal resource (i.e., emotional intelligence) explaining teacher withdrawal intention through a mediator (i.e., work engagement) and considering the moderator effect of a second personal resource (i.e., teacher self-efficacy) in this relationship. Adopting a cross-sectional design, a total of 702 teachers (63.2% female) working at different educational levels took part in this study. The results showed that emotional intelligence and teacher self-efficacy were positively related to work engagement and negatively related to withdrawal intentions. Most importantly, the results demonstrated support for the hypothesized model-that is, teacher self-efficacy moderated the relationship between emotional intelligence and work engagement. Taken together, our findings highlight both emotional intelligence and teacher self-efficacy as positive individual resources for increased work engagement and reduced withdrawal intentions. This study has implications for the development of intervention programs aiming at increasing occupational well-being in educational settings.

Detrimental Effects of Color-Blind Racial Attitudes in Preparing a Culturally Responsive Teaching Workforce for Immigrants

Demands on the teacher workforce are changing as one quarter of children in U.S. schools live in immigrant families and about half of students are racial/ethnic minorities. Simultaneously, diminishing teacher support and teacher shortages cause reliance on alternative certification programs (e.g., Teach for America). In response, we studied the links between color-blind racial attitudes and culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy and outcome expectations with immigrant students among 323 teachers completing an alternative program. Results from a moderated mediation model based on social cognitive career theory demonstrated that color-blind racial attitudes were significantly negatively associated with teaching outcome expectations with immigrants. In addition, the link between color-blind attitudes and self-efficacy was positive and significant only for Asian/Asian American teachers, and the link between self-efficacy and outcome expectations was significant for Latinx and Asian/Asian American teachers, and White teachers. We discuss implications for supporting teachers’ career development in schools serving immigrants of color.

The Influence of Self-Efficacy and Work Input on Physical Education Teachers' Creative Teaching

Objectives

To explore the influence of different background factors on middle school PE teachers' self-efficacy, work input and creative teaching, and to reveal the relationship between teaching self-efficacy and work input on creative teaching.

Methods

By means of self-efficacy, work engagement and creative teaching scale, a questionnaire survey was conducted among middle school PE teachers, and the data were processed and modeled by SPSS and AMOS statistical analysis software.

Results

Physical education (PE) teachers' self-teaching effectiveness was influenced by background factors such as gender, age, teaching age, full-time or part-time work and educational level. Work input was only affected by age, teaching experience and educational level, while creative teaching seemed to be only related to background factors such as educational background and full-time or part-time work; PE teachers' general teaching effectiveness and personal teaching effectiveness had significant positive effects on energy input, concentration input, dedication input, cognitive creativity, skill creativity and emotional creativity; Concentration input had a significant positive impact on the three-dimensional of creative teaching, while energy input and dedication input had no impact on the three-dimensional of creative teaching; Work input as an intermediary variable of self-efficacy's influence on creative teaching had been verified, but the real intermediary role was not the whole work input, but the concentration input in its structure.

Conclusion

Both general and individual teaching effectiveness had positive effects on work input and creative teaching, but the energetic and dedicated input in work input cannot promote teachers' creative teaching effectively. Therefore, the professional ethics training of PE teachers in their enthusiasm and dedication to work should be strengthened.

The Impact of Emotions and Hedonic Balance on Teachers' Self-Efficacy: Testing the Bouncing Back Effect of Positive Emotions

Emotions toward students (e.g., Chan, 2004) and professional role (e.g., O'Connor, 2008) impact teachers' self-efficacy (TSE) beliefs. The effect of positive emotions (PEs) can be explained by the broaden and build theory, stating that the higher the PEs individuals attribute to themselves, the higher the chance to build positive aspects of the self (Fredrickson, 2001). At the same time, negative emotions (NEs) at school inversely influence TSE, reducing teachers' confidence (Chan, 2004). Furthermore, Fredrickson et al. (2000)'s studies inform about the bouncing back effect of PEs on the detrimental effects of NEs on self-efficacy. Starting from these considerations, this study (1) evaluated the bouncing back effect of PEs on negative ones, when predicting self-efficacy; (2) verified whether emotions toward professional role moderated the bouncing back effect. Self-efficacy and emotions in teaching (MESI, Moè et al., 2010) were measured. Two hundred and seventy-two Italian secondary school teachers (F = 73%) were involved. PEs toward students might act as buffering factors against the detrimental effect of NEs on self-efficacy [F(2,270) = 26.17, P < 0.001, R 2 = 0.199]. Finally, emotions toward students and emotions toward professional role do not interact when predicting self-efficacy. The relationships with students seem to have an highly protective effect on teachers' mental health. At the same time, the perception of one's own role as detached from the teaching community may have a role in justifying the non-significant effect of emotions toward professional role in the model and shed new light on intervention objectives.