Highlights

Abstract

Keywords

۱٫ Introduction

۲٫ Methods

۳٫ Results

۴٫ Discussion

۵٫ Conclusion

Acknowledgments

References

Abstract

Teaching is an emotionally demanding profession that can negatively affect teacher well-being. This cross-sectional study aimed to test a comprehensive structural equation model of both the direct and indirect (through affect and intrinsic job satisfaction) relationships between trait emotion regulation and life satisfaction in a sample of 404 Spanish teachers. The model obtained good fit (S–B χ۲ = ۳۱۹٫۱۴۲, df = 201, p < .001; CFI = 0.957; RMSEA = 0.038). Outcomes suggested that: i) positive and negative affect mediates the relationship between trait emotion regulation and both life and job satisfaction; ii) job satisfaction is the main determinant of life satisfaction. Practical implications and limitations are also discussed.

۱٫ Introduction

Teaching is considered an especially demanding profession dominated by cognitive, social and emotional demands that are potentially aggravated by external factors related to political or organizational structures (Lomas et al., 2017). The emergence of positive psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) has contributed to the current focus of researchers and the educational community, not only on reducing negative aspects (e.g., stress, burnout, etc.) but, also, on enhancing the positive aspects (e.g., self-efficacy, emotional capacities, etc.) that generate higher levels of well-being and satisfaction in teachers (Chan, 2011).

The present study aims to increase the knowledge about the way in which certain individual emotional resources are able to promote teacher’s job and life satisfaction. Beyond analyzing the possible contribution of trait emotion regulation and affect on life satisfaction, the main goal lies in deepening the relationships that the aforementioned emotional variables establish with each other and with the teacher well-being outcomes, all of this by testing a structural equation model.

۱٫۱٫ Teacher satisfaction

Life satisfaction is the cognitive component of subjective well-being. It is a widely explored construct in psychology that refers to individuals’ overall evaluations of their life as a whole (Diener & Diener, 1995). The level of life satisfaction experienced by an individual will depend on the result obtained when comparing life conditions (i.e., achievements) with standards established by the individual themself to define a good life (i.e., expectations) (Diener et al., 1985). Thus, an individual with high life satisfaction judges the conditions in which their life develops positively. Despite its relevance in the educational field, empirical studies on life satisfaction in teachers are still relatively scarce (especially when compared to studies which address variables such as teacher job satisfaction) (Dağlı & Baysal, 2017). Moreover, considering research findings that life satisfaction is lower in teachers compared to the general population (Office for Standards in Education, 2019), it is interesting to delve deeper into those variables capable of positively affecting teacher life satisfaction. Some of the main determinants of life satisfaction will be reviewed below.