Factors Influencing Life Satisfaction in Basic Education Teachers

Fatores que Influenciam a Satisfação de Vida em Professores da Educação Básica

Factores que Influyen en la Satisfacción de Vida en Docentes de Educación Básica

Abstract

This study explored how the following aspects may influence basic education teachers’ life satisfaction: self-esteem, general self-efficacy, self-compassion, positive and negative feelings, moral competence, social support, positive relationships with a colleague, work engagement, age, professional experience (in years), time teaching in the same school, number of schools currently teaching, and approximate number of students per week. One hundred primary and high-school teachers (74 women) participated in the study (mean age 40.9; SD = 10.01). Network analysis provided a model which encompasses the six most relevant aspects that interfere in the life and work of basic education teachers: life satisfaction, self-efficacy, self-esteem, positive affects, work engagement, and giving instrumental social support. In addition, the yielded model showed that self-efficacy presented the closest relationship with life satisfaction. We discuss the results in line with previous studies on self-efficacy. Interventions directed at basic education teachers may be more effective if self-efficacy is part of the program.

Keywords:
teachers; quality of life; self-efficacy