Teacher wellbeing in rural, regional, and metropolitan schools

Periodical
Teaching and Teacher Education
Volume
132
Year
2023
Issue number
104229
Page range
1-17
Access date
27.02.2024
Relates to study/studies
TALIS 2018

Teacher wellbeing in rural, regional, and metropolitan schools

Examining resources and demands across locations

Abstract

Teachers’ work conditions impact their wellbeing. However, it is currently not well-known what role school location plays in these associations. The current study used a multigroup structural equation model to identify similarities and differences in the associations between job demands/resources, self-efficacy, and teacher wellbeing in rural, regional, and metropolitan locations in Australia. Workload and student behavior stress (negatively) and teacher collaboration (positively) were predictive of teacher wellbeing in all locations. In contrast, professional development irrelevance had unique associations with wellbeing for rural teachers. The findings suggest the importance of considering what demands/resources are most salient for teachers in specific contexts.