Abstract
Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, the current study analysed the relationship between teachers’ perceived autonomy support and work engagement while it also explored the mediating effect of basic psychological need satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. The study investigated 520 elementary teachers in Beijing, and we found the following: (1) teachers in different groups reported diverse senses of perceived autonomy support, in that teachers with less teaching experience as well as those with a master’s degree have a higher score regarding the perceptions of teacher autonomy; and (2) teacher autonomy can affect work engagement not only in terms of the satisfaction of basic psychological needs but also by the chain of satisfaction of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation. Teachers with more autonomy support will have higher basic psychological need satisfaction and stronger teaching motivation, which will further enhance their work engagement.
Highlights
Teachers’ work engagement affects their own professional development (Lyons, 2006) and influences students’ physical and mental growth, as well as academic performance (Ruzek, 2012)
The results showed that basic psychological need satisfaction and intrinsic motivation played an intermediary role between teacher autonomy and work engagement
Given that work engagement could be viewed as a psychological state influenced by humans’ motivations, one possible way to enhance teachers’ work engagement is through a motivational approach (Li et al, 2015)
Summary
Teachers’ work engagement affects their own professional development (Lyons, 2006) and influences students’ physical and mental growth, as well as academic performance (Ruzek, 2012). Continuous school development depends on teachers’ engagement in work and their willingness to achieve school goals (Somech and Ron, 2007). A high degree of work engagement is generally connected with more commitment, better involvement, and increased productivity (Timms and Brough, 2013). As teaching is one of the most stressful occupations (Skaalvik and Skaalvik, 2011), the problem of work engagement is universally recognized (Klassen et al, 2012a). Teachers with lower engagement often endure burnout, health problems (Hakanen et al, 2006), and severe turnover (Bal et al, 2013)
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