Hongbo Yu

Year of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

International Educational Leadership

Department or School/College

Phyllis J. Washington College of Education

Committee Chair

Erica Allen

Commitee Members

John Matt, William P. McCaw, Patty Kero, Shaima Khinjani

Keywords

Primary School, Teacher Agency, Teachers' Occupational Well-Being

Abstract

Primary school teachers’ occupational well-being has been highly discussed in recent years. Improving professional ability, teaching achievement, teaching seminars, teacher-student relations, and colleague relations make teachers busy and unfulfilled. Teachers, reporting decreases in their overall well-being, are experiencing higher burnout rates, increased workloads, higher levels of negative emotions, and negative internalization symptoms.

This study addressed the relationship between agency and occupational well-being among primary school teachers in Hongshan District. Teacher agency, defined as the capacity of teachers to act purposefully and constructively to direct their professional growth and influence their work environment, is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in educational settings. Occupational well-being, encompassing job satisfaction and mental health, significantly impacts teachers' effectiveness and overall quality of education. This quantitative research was undertaken as non-experimental research. Participants for this study included 335 primary school teachers from 39 primary schools, from a population of 2068 primary school teachers, who taught in Hongshan District during the 2023-2024 school year.

The findings revealed a positive correlation between teacher agency and occupational well-being among primary school teachers. Teachers with higher levels of agency reported greater occupational well-being outcomes. The ability to make autonomous decisions, engage in self-directed professional development, and influence school policies were identified as key factors contributing to enhanced well-being. Teachers who perceived themselves as active agents in their role reported higher levels of motivation and engagement, contributing to a more fulfilling and resilient professional experience. This study underscores the importance of fostering teacher agency as a means to improve occupational well-being. Educational leaders are encouraged to create environments that support teachers' autonomy and professional growth in order to enhance teachers' job satisfaction and overall effectiveness, ultimately benefiting the educational outcomes of students.

Future studies should involve teachers at other education levels for greater generalizability. It is also recommended that this research be replicated using raters to assess the participant’s agency and occupational well-being. In addition, qualitative research methods like in-depth interviews are also suggested, which will reveal the participants’ accurate and true feelings and thoughts toward their agency and occupational well-being, as well as their leaders’ leadership style.

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