Subjective well-being in New Zealand teachers : an examination of the role of psychological capital : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examines the relationship between psychological capital and well-being in a \nsample of 1,502 teachers. Teaching has been consistently identified as one of the most \nstressful occupations, a situation that inherently raises questions about teacher wellbeing. \nThis study explores the extent to which psychological capital can act as a protective factor \nagainst stress and also examines the role of appraisal and coping in the stress-strain \nrelationship. Teachers across New Zealand and from a range of teaching levels completed \nsurveys measuring psychological capital, challenge and threat appraisal, task-focussed and \nemotion-focussed coping, affect, perceived stress, and life satisfaction. Data analysis \nidentified direct and indirect effects of psychological capital on outcome measures of wellbeing \nand stress. Teachers with higher levels of psychological capital reported higher levels \nof well-being and lower levels of stress. Psychological capital was positively related to life \nsatisfaction (r = .47, p <.01) and positive affect (r = .63, p <.01), and negatively related to \nperceived stress (r = -.66, p <.01) and negative affect (r = -.61, p <.01). In addition, \npsychological capital was a significant predictor of outcome measures. Psychological capital \nwas also positively related to challenge appraisal and task-focussed coping, and negatively \nrelated to threat appraisal and emotion-focussed coping. Task-focussed coping was found to \nmediate the relationship between challenge appraisal and measures of well-being. \nTeachers high in psychological capital were more likely to appraise a situation as a challenge \nthan a threat, and as a partial mediator, task-focussed coping explained some of the \nrelationship between challenge appraisal and well-being.
Author: Andrea Soykan
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2277811468