Psychological Capital, Subjective Well‐Being and Professional Commitment Among Teachers: A Behavioural Mediation Model

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose Teaching is widely recognised as a psychologically demanding profession, with sustained exposure to work‐related stressors posing risks to teachers' mental well‐being and professional functioning. Drawing on the ‘Job Demands‐Resources model and Self‐Determination Theory’, this study examined how teachers' psychological capital (PsyCap), a core positive psychological resource, relates to ‘professional commitment (PC)’ and whether ‘job satisfaction (JS) and subjective well‐being (SWB)’ mediate this relationship. Method A ‘descriptive cross‐sectional survey design’ was employed, with data collected from 225 basic school teachers using a simple random sampling technique. ‘Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM)’ was utilised to test the proposed direct and mediating relationships among the study variables. Finding The results indicated that PsyCap had significant positive effects on ‘teachers' job satisfaction, subjective well‐being, and professional commitment’. Subjective well‐being partially mediated the relationship between ‘PsyCap and professional commitment’, highlighting well‐being as a key psychological mechanism linking personal psychological resources to work‐related behavioural outcomes. In contrast, ‘job satisfaction neither predicted professional commitment nor mediated the PsyCap‐commitment’ relationship. Conclusion Psychological capital enhances teachers' professional commitment primarily through subjective well‐being rather than job satisfaction. Educational authorities should strengthen teachers' psychological capital and well‐being to sustain commitment and improve professional outcomes in demanding educational contexts.