AUTHOR=Lei Yumei 

TITLE=The interplay of job embeddedness, collective efficacy, and work meaningfulness on teacher well-being: a mixed-methods study with digital ethnography in China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 15 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1448446

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1448446

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=This study investigated the influence of teacher job embeddedness, teacher collective efficacy, and work meaningfulness on the psychological well-being of Chinese teachers through a mixedmethods approach. Utilizing a two-stage structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, quantitative data were collected from 406 in-service teachers. The results revealed significant positive direct effects of all three focal constructs on psychological well-being, with work meaningfulness exhibiting the strongest direct effect, followed by collective efficacy and job embeddedness.Additionally, the model demonstrated significant mediating effects of work meaningfulness, partially explaining the relationships between both job embeddedness and collective efficacy with teacher well-being. To enrich these findings, a qualitative phase involving digital ethnography was conducted within online teaching communities, providing nuanced insights into the teachers' experiences. The qualitative data supported and expanded upon the quantitative results, highlighting the importance of a supportive school community and strong administrative leadership in fostering job embeddedness, collective efficacy, and work meaningfulness. These findings suggest that fostering these elements can contribute to enhanced psychological well-being among teachers, offering valuable guidance for school leaders and policymakers in the Chinese educational system.