Teachers' Wellbeing: The Role of Calling Orientation, Job Crafting and Work Meaningfulness

Abstract

"People who consider their work as a calling find it fulfilling, purposeful, and socially useful, thus leading to higher levels of well-being. Since work is a central part of the identity of people with calling orientation and represents one of the most important domains of their lives, we assume that they are more prone to craft their job. They tend to make the physical and cognitive changes in the task or relational boundaries of their work in order to make it more meaningful. Both experiencing work as a calling and job crafting are found to be associated with numerous positive outcomes such as increased job satisfaction, psychological well-being and sense of meaning. This study adds to literature by exploring simultaneously the role of both calling orientation and job crafting in primary teacher’s wellbeing. The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between teachers calling orientation, job crafting, work meaningfulness and well-being. In light of the literature on work meaningfulness and psychological well-being, a serial mediation model was proposed with job crafting and work meaningfulness mediating the relationship between teacher calling orientation and teacher flourishing. The sample consisted of 349 primary school teachers (95% female) from public schools in northern western region of Croatia. They have on average 22 years of teaching experience (ranged from 0-43 years). Self-report measures of calling orientation (Work-Life Questionnaire), job crafting (Job Crafting Scale), work meaning (Work Meaningfulness scale) and flourishing (Flourishing Scale) were used. The findings revealed that the job crafting via increasing structural job resources mediated the relationship between calling orientation and work meaningfulness. Furthermore, the results supported the proposed serial mediation between calling orientation and flourishing via increasing structural job resources and increasing work meaningfulness. Based on these findings, several practical implications can be noted. First, interventions aimed at helping teacher view their job as a calling should be promoted in schools. Second, teachers should be encouraged to cultivate job crafting as it is an important path to meaningfulness in work context and overall psychological wellbeing. This is specially the case for increasing structural job resources, such as autonomy and variety at work."

The Relationship Between Teachers Calling, Job Performance, and Organizational Commitment: The Mediating Role of Work-Related Flow Experience

“…This study suggests practical implications for teachers, school principals, and educational organizations. First, teachers should participate academic practices such as seminars, conferences to understand the value of calling and work-related flow experience for the teaching process which results in higher performance (Jurčec et al, 2021). In addition, school principals should understand the importance of calling sense to encourage teachers' positive work results and behavior.…”

“…Similarly, Raatikainen (1997) has found that nurses who experience a calling are highly satisfied and motivated. Employees who perceive their work as a calling have perceived their work as purposeful, fulfilling, and socially beneficial, thereby achieving higher levels of well-being (Jurčec et al, 2021). Similarly, employees with a sense of calling have a stronger organizational commitment (Afsar et al, 2019).…”

“…While doing their job, they are in the flow of work. Both experiencing work as a calling and being in flow are associated with plenty of positive organizational outcomes such as psychological well-being, job satisfaction, and a sense of meaning (Jurčec et al, 2021). Teaching is a demanding profession that requires dedication, motivation, demanding work, and purposefulness (Beltman et al, 2011).…”