How Is Professional Identity Associated with Teacher Career Satisfaction? A Cross-Sectional Design to Test the Multiple Mediating Roles of Psychological Empowerment and Work Engagement

Influence of early childhood teachers' psychological contracts on teacher competency: Chain mediating role of job crafting and professional identity

In response to the epochal demand for high-quality development in early childhood education in China, it is imperative and necessary to improve the competency level of early childhood educators. The study aims to investigate the relationship between psychological contracts and teacher competency, and to verify the mediating roles of job crafting and professional identity in the relationship between psychological contracts and teacher competency. This study employed validated measurement scales regarding psychological contracts, teachers' professional identity, job crafting, and teacher competency. Each of these scales has established internal consistency coefficients. Data were collected from 318 early childhood teachers in Sichuan, China. The results highlight the significant impact of psychological contracts on the prediction of teacher competency. It is worth mentioning that the psychological contracts, together with their distinct components such as normative responsibility and development responsibility, have a direct and favorable impact on teacher competency. This implies that developing the psychological contracts might be an effective technique for improving teacher competence. The individual mediation of job crafting and professional identity in the link between psychological contracts and teacher competency has been well-established. However, the combined or chain mediating influence of these factors provides a unique and valuable perspective on the phenomenon of job crafting leading to professional identity, which in turn impacts teacher competency. The study found that psychological contracts have a positive predictive effect on teacher competency, while job crafting and professional identity both have independent and chain mediating roles in the relationship between psychological contracts and teacher competency. Therefore, this study suggests a comprehensive enhancement of the psychological contracts level from aspects such as normative responsibility, interpersonal responsibility, and development responsibility. By stimulating job crafting and professional identity levels in both internal and external environments, we can improve the competency level of early childhood educators.

Relationship between teachers' professional identity and career satisfaction among college teachers: role of career calling

Objectives

Professional identity has been found an important determinant of career satisfaction of employees working in various fields. Teachers' professional identity is a relatively less explored domain. Considering the importance of teacher's career satisfaction, the current study was designed to test the role of career calling in the relationship between teachers' professional identity and career satisfaction.

Methods

A sample of teachers (N = 300) with (n = 115) men and (n = 185) women was recruited from the colleges of Sargodha City, Pakistan with an age range from 24 to 45 (M = 31.3, SD = 6.4). A purposive sampling technique was employed for data collection. Variables of the present study were operationalized through the Professional Identity Scale, Brief Calling Scale, and Career Satisfaction Scale.

Results

Path analysis revealed that normative identity did not have any direct or indirect effects on career satisfaction and career calling. Whereas affective and efficacy identity demonstrated significant positive direct effects on career calling whereas career calling had significant positive direct effect on career satisfaction. Efficacy identity also had a significant positive direct effect on career satisfaction. Finally, both affective and efficacy identity had significant positive indirect effects on career satisfaction via career calling.

Conclusion

The findings of the current study may help in devising plans to improve the career satisfaction of teachers working in the higher education sector.

Psychological Empowerment and Job Performance: Examining Serial Mediation Effects of Self-Efficacy and Affective Commitment

A substantial body of literature has analyzed the influence of psychological empowerment on individual and organizational outcomes. However, there is still a need to examine how empowered employees achieve higher performance. To fill this gap in the literature, this study analyzed the mediating role of self-efficacy and affective commitment in the relationship between psychological empowerment and task-based job performance. Data were collected from 357 employees. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping procedures. The results validated the structural relationships between psychological empowerment, self-efficacy, affective commitment, and task-based job performance. In addition, the serial mediation effect of self-efficacy and affective commitment was also confirmed. These results highlight the relevance of psychological variables, such as psychological empowerment and affective commitment, for individuals and organizations. The study supports that feeling empowered and emotionally committed is essential in building a long-term relationship between the employee and the organization.

Empowering leadership and job satisfaction of academic staff in Palestinian universities: Implications of leader-member exchange and trust in leader

Introduction

In the aftermath of global pandemic of COVID-19, many sectors faced severe challenges to maintain security, health (psychological, and physical), and steer through the crisis by sup-porting the society.

Methods

Through a quantitative approach a total of 250 surveys were distributed after a pilot test. Specifically, this research gathers data from 178 (71.2% response rate) university teachers from different universities across Palestine via surveys that address the role of empowering leaders on job satisfaction among teachers. The proposed model of the re-search was analyzed using Smart-PLS and PLS-SEM technique.

Discussion and Results

The academic sector was disrupted and faced extreme changes during the pandemic, rendering teachers vulnerable and thus, role of leaders more crucial. Building on job demand-resources model, and social exchange theory, the current study examines the moderating effect of leader-member exchange (LMX) for increasing job satisfaction that can lead to enhanced overall wellbeing in the academic setting. Additionally, the mediating role of trust in leader is focused as a vital psychological element. While the results show a significantly positive effect on job satisfaction in the presence of empowering leaders, the moderating role of LMX alongside mediating impact of trust are observed. This implies that empowering leaders are highly influential in enhancing workplace for university teachers in the post-pandemic era.