Satisfied teachers are good teachers: The association between teacher job satisfaction and instructional quality

Abstract

Instructional quality is associated with better academic outcomes for students. This study aimed to investigate how teachers' job satisfaction was associated with clarity of instruction and cognitive activation as measures of instructional quality. In addition, we investigated whether this association between teachers' job satisfaction and instructional quality was mediated by teacher–student relationships. Drawing on the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), we compared participants from both Eastern (N = 27,106; Japan, Taipei, Korea, Shanghai) and Western sociocultural contexts (N = 20,209; Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom). Multilevel structural equation modelling results indicated that teachers' job satisfaction was positively associated with instructional quality across Eastern and Western settings. The relationship between teachers' job satisfaction and instructional quality was partially mediated by better student–teacher relationships. There were some differences between the cultural settings in how job satisfaction correlated with clarity of instruction and cognitive activation. We suggest that these differences may be accounted for by cultural characteristics leading to different approaches to teaching. Our results suggest that teachers' job satisfaction and the quality of classroom‐level relationships may be important indicators of positive instructional outcomes. While schools focus on student outcomes, they should also address teachers' job satisfaction and prioritise the importance of relationships between teachers and students in classrooms.

A systematic literature review of TALIS secondary research: Trends and future directions

“…Therefore, they concluded that teachers appear to adjust their teaching methods based on the needs of their students. A more recent study of teachers from Eastern and Western worlds reports a positive relationship between teachers' job satisfaction and instructional quality and, furthermore, how this relationship is partially mediated by better student‐teacher relationships (Harrison et al., 2023). Even though many studies using TALIS data looked at the overall quality of instruction by combining different aspects into one model, some researchers also separately explored the three specific dimensions of instructional quality.…”

Examining the Antecedents of Novice STEM Teachers’ Job Satisfaction: The Roles of Personality Traits, Perceived Social Support, and Work Engagement

“…As part of a larger project, which aimed to enhance STEM teachers’ well-being and facilitate their professional development [ 14 ], our research goal was to examine the relationships among novice STEM teachers’ PTs, PSS, WE, and JS. Thus, a quantitative cross-sectional survey was the most efficient and appropriate method [ 55 ], as it can help collect data regarding these variables in a relatively short period of time [ 56 , 57 ].…”

“…Hence, to address this issue, it is very necessary to explore what factors influence STEM teachers’ JS. Furthermore, studies have revealed the significance of STEM teachers’ JS in the process of improving the quality of STEM education [ 14 ] and students’ STEM learning outcomes [ 15 ]. This also highlights the importance of increasing STEM teachers’ JS.…”

On the outcomes of teacher wellbeing: a systematic review of research

“…Conversely, this collection of papers contains no independent research conducted with teacher samples from South America or Africa, and only a few studies have been conducted in Asia or Australia. However, such research is essential to improving our understanding of the impact of cultural differences on the outcomes of teacher wellbeing, a need that was highlighted by Harrison et al (2023).…”