Mindfulness and job satisfaction as predictors of teacher well-being

Abstract

The teaching career is recognized as one of the most susceptible to stress and emotional strain. Mindfulness-based interventions have been identified as promoters of well-being and reducers of teacher stress. This study aimed to describe the levels of well-being, mindfulness, and job satisfaction among Portuguese teachers; analyze the relationship between well-being, mindfulness, and job satisfaction; and identify the predictive capacity of mindfulness and job satisfaction for teacher well-being. A quantitative, descriptive and correlational study was conducted, involving 734 teachers (89.1% female). The data was collected online using the sociodemographic and socioprofessional data questionnaire, the job satisfaction scale, the psychological well-being scale (EMMBEP), and the mindfulness scale (PHLMS). The study results demonstrated the presence of average scores in the perception of well-being. It was found that awareness and job satisfaction emerged as positive predictors of teacher well-being, while acceptance was found to be a negative predictor. It is concluded that job satisfaction is related to the perception of psychological well-being among the teachers in this sample. Mindfulness practices also have implications for the perception of psychological well-being, with awareness positively contributing to this well-being, while the acceptance dimension proved to be a negative predictor. Knowledge regarding how the variables studied here affect the perception of psychological well-being is relevant for designing interventions that better meet the needs of teachers.