engleski

Teacher Self-Efficacy and Job Satisfaction: A Four-Wave Random-Intercept Cross-Lagged Analysis

Research goals and why the work was worth doing Although longitudinal associations between self- efficacy and professional wellbeing indicators have been investigated previously, studies that separate stable individual differences in these constructs from changes that occur within individuals over time are still scarce. Therefore, in the present research, we tested the random- intercept cross lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) and investigated the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction at between- person level (by examining whether teachers with higher levels of self-efficacy are in general more satisfied with their job) and within-person level (by examining whether teachers who report higher than typical levels of self-efficacy are also satisfied with their job more than expected at a single time point and across time points). In addition, since teacher self-efficacy is multi- faceted construct (i.e., efficacy for student engagement, efficacy for instructional strategies, and efficacy for classroom management), we tested these relationships for each dimension of teacher self-efficacy separately to examine its possible differentiated effects. Theoretical background The shortage of teachers is a problem faced by many countries around the world. Research shows that attrition rates for teachers in the first five years in the profession are as high as 50% (Buchanan et al., 2013 ; Lindqvist et al., 2014). Strategies aimed at reducing teacher attrition are largely focused at increasing job satisfaction, considering its established relation with the decision to leave the profession (Klassen & Chiu, 2011 ; Kelly et al., 2019). Teachers’ self-efficacy is considered to be one of the most important factors affecting teachers’ job satisfaction - teachers with low levels of self-efficacy tend to be dissatisfied with their jobs, which increases the likelihood of leaving the teaching profession (Evans, 2001 ; Ingersoll, 2001). Design/Methodology/Approach/Intervention In total, 1141 teachers (881 females) with an average teaching experience of 15.88 years (SD = 9.13), employed in 73 secondary schools in Croatia, participated in a longitudinal study with a full panel design. Teachers filled out an online questionnaire four times within a school year with a time lag of 2.5 months. Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous and responses of teachers from different time points were matched based on specially created self-generated codes. To account for nestedness of teachers within schools and possible bias in estimates of standard errors, the RI-CLPM was tested with the TYPE IS COMPLEX option in Mplus. Results obtained The results showed that stable parts of all three dimensions of teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction were positively correlated implying that teachers with higher levels of efficacy for student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management also tend to be more satisfied with their job. Regarding the time- specific associations, we found that teachers with higher than expected levels of self-efficacy at a given time point, also reported higher than expected levels of job satisfaction. Finally, we established longitudinal spill-over effects from efficacy for student engagement and instructional strategies to job satisfaction, showing that teachers with higher than usual levels of self- efficacy at one time point are also more satisfied with their job at subsequent measurement occasion. However, no such effects were found for efficacy for classroom management. In addition, longitudinal effects from job satisfaction to self-efficacy were not established. Our results point to the importance of examining different aspects of teacher self-efficacy separately and highlight the causal predominance of self-efficacy construct over job satisfaction while exploring its dynamic relationship. Limitations Common method bias may have occurred given that self-efficacy and job satisfaction were both measured using self-ratings. Also, although large, a convenience sample of participants was used. Conclusions – research and or practical implications/Originality/Value Given that higher levels of teacher self-efficacy are related to higher level of job satisfaction, it is necessary to develop and implement different methods and strategies to increase self-efficacy among teachers. Relevance to the Congress Theme As the world of work changes, so does the teaching profession. Changes in the teaching profession result in lower job satisfaction and leaving the profession, which is a problem that many countries around the world are facing. Relevant UN SDGs UN SDGs relevant to this paper are (3) Good health and well-being, (4) Quality education and (8) Decent work and economic growth.

self-efficacy ; job satisfaction ; teachers

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