How university instructors’ achievement goals are related to subjective well-being: A cross-lagged panel analysis.

Abstract

Research indicates that university instructors struggle with compromised subjective well-being (SWB) and have faced further challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although studies have found instructors’ achievement goals to be important motivational factors linked to their well-being, longitudinal research is needed to clarify the directionality of these relations over time to advance theory, research, and practice. In the present study, we aimed to contribute to this line of research by investigating bidirectional relations between achievement goals and multifaceted SWB (positive affect, negative affect, job satisfaction, life satisfaction) in 489 German university instructors across a semester (3 months) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Latent cross-lagged panel analysis revealed that instructors’ positive affect and job satisfaction at the semester start positively predicted changes in their mastery approach goals and performance approach goals, and negatively predicted changes in their work avoidance goals. Moreover, a positive reciprocal loop was observed between job satisfaction and performance approach goals. Our findings emphasize the necessity of considering instructors’ achievement goals not only as causes but also as consequences of their well-being when designing future studies and support measures.

Defining and Advancing a Systems Approach to Achieving Educator Wellbeing: An Integrative Review of Wellbeing in Higher Education

“…Burnout is experienced by educators exposed to the cumulative negative effects of work demands that exceed their available coping capacity. Burnout affects the health (Young et al, 2017) and working performance of academics, ultimately diminishing their productivity, job satisfaction (Khan et al, 2019), motivation to teach competently (Rinas et al, 2023) and perceptions of their efficacy as educators (Sabagh et al, 2018). Just as the NASEM systems model of professional wellbeing identified multiple interdependent levels that impact on the work systems that create wellbeing, in the higher education context work demands and resources operate at and are influenced by multiple levels.…”

“…This can create a cycle where students may express dissatisfaction with teaching and classroom management which can further diminish educator job satisfaction and efficacy (Frisby et al, 2014). The lower self-efficacy of burned-out educators may also present reputational risks to universities due to perceived impacts on teaching quality (Rinas et al, 2023;Roos & Borkoski, 2021;Sabagh et al, 2018) and a corresponding impact on student attraction and industry/professional body stakeholders and prospective graduate employers' attitudes (Kaushal et al, 2021). Notwithstanding these potential reputation and quality risks, universities have a legal obligation to provide a mentally, psychosocially and physically safe working environment (Wray & Kinman, 2022).…”