Teacher Support Resources, Need Satisfaction and Well-Being

Abstract

Based on Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R), this study examines the relationships among teacher support resources, psychological need satisfaction, engagement and burnout in a sample of 282 Spanish secondary school teachers. Nine teacher psychological needs were identified based on the study of Bess and on the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Self-report questionnaires were used to measure the constructs selected for this study and their interrelationships were examined by structural equation modeling. The results reveal a good model fit to the data (NNFI = .88; CFI = .90; GFI = .90; RMSEA = .061). The analyses indicate a positive and significant effect of latent variable Psychological Need Satisfaction on engagement (β = .74, p < .05), and a negative and significant effect on burnout (β = -.78, p ≤ .05). Furthermore, the results show the mediator role played by Psychological Need Satisfaction in the relationship between teacher support resources and both engagement and burnout (additional paths did not improve the model fit: Δχ2(2) = 2.428, p = .29). Finally, practical implications of these findings are discussed.

The Academic Environment and Faculty Well-Being: The Role of Psychological Needs

“…Moreover, the fully mediated model did not yield a good fit to the data. The results support the findings of other SDT research conducted with other populations in concluding that the three SDT needs mediate the relationships between environmental factors and well-being in employees (Doménech-Betoret et al, 2015; Fernet et al, 2013; Gillet et al, 2013, 2015; Graves & Luciano, 2013). These findings also support research that shows the three SDT needs do not act as one construct but rather three related constructs (e.g., Graves & Luciano, 2013; Fernet et al, 2013).…”

“…employees (Doménech-Betoret et al, 2015;Fernet et al, 2013;Gillet et al, 2013Gillet et al, , 2015Graves & Luciano, 2013). These findings also support research that shows the three SDT needs do not act as one construct but rather three related constructs (e.g., Graves & Luciano, 2013;Fernet et al, 2013).…”

“…In the mental health and physical health literature, a recent meta-analysis showed all three SDT needs positively mediated the relation between autonomy support (an environmental factor) and mental health and physical health (Ng et al, 2012). The three SDT needs have also been shown to fully mediate or partially mediate the relationship of environmental factors in the workplace with well-being in samples of: (a) secondary teachers and school personnel in Spain and the United States (Doménech-Betoret, Lloret-Sequra, & Gómez-Artiga, 2015; Fernet, Austin, Trépanier, & Dussault, 2013), (b) nurses in France (Gillet, Colombat, Michinov, Pronost, & Fouquereau, 2013), and (c) masters’ students and graduates in business in Canada and the United States (Gillet, Forest, Benabour, & Bentein, 2015; Graves & Luciano, 2013). All but two of those studies combined the three SDT needs, so their individual contributions could not be examined.…”

The Relationship Between Basic Psychological Needs and Academic Burnout in Medical Students

“…According to the results of Zhang et al, students with higher scores in internal motivation show less academic burnout (4). The results of a study by Domenech-Betoret et al showed that satisfying basic needs increases students' academic engagement (27) and, consequently, reduces their academic burnout (7). The results of the current study indicated that satisfaction of autonomy and competence…”

“…Educational environments emphasizing friendship, communication between members, and mutual respect and have high quality educational services can increase the sense of coherence, autonomy, and competence among learners. Improving the culture of educational environments and the teachers' support for the autonomy of students can facilitate the fulfilment of students' basic psychological needs, leading to decreases in academic burnout (27). Accordingly, Salmela-Aro et al stated that the school atmosphere and the positive motivation received from teachers had a negative relationship with academic burnout.…”