Professional Identity Associated with Teacher Career Satisfaction: A Cross-Sectional Design to Test the Multiple Mediating Roles of Psychological Empowerment and Work Engagement

Weixing  Li; Pratikshya  Bhandari

Authors

Weixing Li Faculty of Management, Shinawatra University
Pratikshya Bhandari

Keywords:

Career satisfaction, Professional identity, psychological empowerment Work engagement, University teachers

Abstract

Previous research has explored the positive relationship between teacher professional identity and career satisfaction but has not investigated its underlying reasons. Therefore, this study examines the mediating roles of two variables psychological empowerment and work engagement in the relationship between professional identity and career satisfaction. This study surveyed 630 teachers from 17 Chinese universities using the Professional Identity Scale, Psychological Empowerment Scale, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and Career Satisfaction Scale. Demographic variables (such as gender, age, teaching experience, professional title, job characteristics, and school level) were controlled as covariates for conservative prediction. Results: (a) Professional identity is positively correlated with career satisfaction; (b) Professional identity is positively correlated with work engagement; (c) Professional identity is positively correlated with psychological empowerment; (d) Work engagement is positively correlated with career satisfaction; (e)Psychological empowerment is positively correlated with career satisfaction; (f)Work engagement mediates the relationship between professional identity and career satisfaction(g)Psychological empowerment mediates the relationship between professional identity and career satisfaction. Based on the research findings above, several recommendations are proposed for the government, universities, and university teachers. The government should formulate and implement education policies beneficial to higher education teachers. These measures should include increasing teachers' salaries, improving teaching conditions, and enhancing teacher training. These policies should address the actual needs of teachers and help effectively enhance their professional identity and career satisfaction. This study demonstrates that there is a positive correlation between professional identity and teacher career satisfaction, professional identity and work engagement, professional identity and psychological empowerment, psychological empowerment and teacher career satisfaction, and work engagement and teacher career satisfaction. More importantly, professional identity can indirectly influence teacher career satisfaction through the mediating effect of psychological empowerment; professional identity can also indirectly affect teacher career satisfaction through the mediating effect of work engagement.

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