Antecedents and Outcomes of Teacher Job Satisfaction: A Systematic Literature Review

Antecedents and Outcomes of Teacher Job Satisfaction: A Systematic Literature Review

Yaju Zhou¹, Azfahanee Binti Zakaria^2*, Roziyana Binti Jafri³, Sarah Binti Sabir Ahmad⁴

¹Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

¹Changzhou Vocational Institute of Industry Technology, Jiangsu Province, China

²Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

³Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

⁴Faculty of Business Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

^* Corresponding Author

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.8100057

Received: 26 September 2024; Accepted: 04 October 2024; Published: 02 November 2024

ABSTRACT

This study systematically reviews teacher job satisfaction, aiming to examine its antecedents and outcomes while offering insights into trends and patterns in the literature for practitioners and future researchers. Adhering to the guidelines of the PRISMA, the study selected and analyzed 57 out of 331 articles published across 8 databases from 2019 to 2023. Utilizing descriptive and thematic analyses, the study identified theories employed in exploring teacher job satisfaction and categorized its antecedents and outcomes at individual, organizational, social and family levels. Additionally, this study identifies significant insights and gaps in the current research that could be further explored in future studies. Despite certain limitations, such as publication bias and a relatively small number of reviewed articles, this study remains a valuable resource for researchers interested in teacher job satisfaction. Additionally, it offers value to human resource management practices in various educational settings and raises awareness among teachers about their professional development and well-being.

Keywords— systematic literature review, teacher job satisfaction, antecedents, outcomes, PRISMA

INTRODUCTION

The success of an educational system relies heavily on the role of teachers [6], as teachers educate students and shape society in a sense [1]. However, the rising rates of teacher turnover and the resulting shortage of qualified teachers are becoming a significant global concern [66]. From past research, it was mentioned that nearly half of new teachers exit the profession within five years [37], [58]. Teacher turnover not only results in significant financial costs [37], [45], but also negatively impacts students’ academic progress [37], [62].

Job satisfaction has been cited as a significant factor in decreasing organizational turnover rates [3], [61]. Educators who experience high job satisfaction are likely to have lower turnover intentions, whereas those with low job satisfaction tend to exhibit higher turnover intentions [61]. Job satisfaction refers to the positive emotional responses to their work, arising from an appreciation of their job experiences [35]. This concept involves evaluations and comparisons between what is achieved and what is desired, serving as a foundational construct for understanding the connection between individuals and their work [68]. In the educational context, job satisfaction is defined as teachers’ perceptions of their work environment, and their interactions within that environment [5].

Teacher job satisfaction has emerged as a significant concern within the global educational community [61], given its association with numerous positive outcomes. At an individual level, heightened teacher job satisfaction correlates with reduced burnout [23], [57] and increased life satisfaction [39], [53]. Educators experiencing high job satisfaction tend to exhibit more positive emotions and enthusiasm in their work, while also displaying lower levels of job burnout [57]. Moreover, job satisfaction serves as a pivotal component of life satisfaction, exerting a beneficial influence on both physical and mental well-being [53]. On an organizational scale, teacher job satisfaction diminishes the inclination to quit [30], [75]. Elevated job satisfaction among teachers fosters a favorable perception of their schools and typically deters intentions of seeking alternative employment [30]. Additionally, contented teachers demonstrate superior job performance [38], [54] and enhanced effectiveness compared to their discontented counterparts [54]. The satisfaction derived from one’s profession instills confidence, fosters loyalty, and bolsters motivation, ultimately translating into improved performance and heightened productivity [54].

Previous literature on teacher job satisfaction has suggested that school administrators’ administrative behaviors (i.e., leadership), individual variables (i.e., teacher self-efficacy), and organizational variables (i.e., participation in decisions) significantly predict teachers’ job satisfaction [51]. Additionally, the study of [67] indicates the sources of teacher job satisfaction, which include: a) educators’ self-efficacy, b) administrators’ leadership and supervision, support, and decision-making styles, c) job performance, d) job stress and burnout, e) organizational culture and school climate, f) motivation, commitment, and engagement, g) salary and other remuneration, compensation, h) others (subjective well-being, spirituality, theoretical development, and design).

While a significant body of literature exists on teacher job satisfaction, the field is marked by diverse methodologies, theoretical frameworks, and focal points, making it challenging to discern overarching patterns and trends. Furthermore, there has been no systematic literature review of articles published in the past five years. Despite this, [67] conducted a systematic literature review capturing some studies published between 2015 and 2020, and argued that future research efforts should explore additional factors related to educators’ job satisfaction. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed research concerning teacher job satisfaction to understand the various factors influencing it and how teacher job satisfaction benefits both the individual and the organization.

A systematic literature review in social science research is a methodical approach that seeks to collect all relevant information on a specific topic [15]. This involves formulating clear questions and systematically assessing gathered information, synthesizing data, and analyzing research findings to address defined questions [42]. In this study, the research questions are as follows:

RQ1. What are the antecedents of teacher JS?

RQ2. What are the outcomes of teacher job satisfaction?

This article is organized as follows. First, the research method for conducting the systematic literature review is discussed. Next, the results and analysis are presented. Finally, some recommendations for future research and conclusions are addressed.

RESEARCH METHOD

This study employed a systematic review approach to analyze the literature related to job satisfaction in the educational industry. The review aimed to identify and examine the antecedents and outcomes of teacher job satisfaction. In this study, “teacher” refers to an individual who teaches students or academic staff in schools, colleges, or universities. The term “faculty” was also used interchangeably to identify “teacher.” Boolean logic, employing logical operators like AND and OR, was utilized to identify relationships between search terms and conditions for retrieving articles. The custom search string was (TI=(job satisfaction) AND TS=(teacher)) OR (TI=(job satisfaction) AND TS=(faculty) AND ALL=(education)).

We searched for articles across 8 databases, including  Elsevier, Emerald, Sage, Springer Link, Taylor and Francis, Wiley, Frontiers and Mdpi. We selected the timeline from 2019 to 2023, and the language of publication was English in the database.

To improve the reliability and comprehensiveness of the study, we utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model to select relevant research. This approach encompassed four key stages: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion [42].

The criteria for inclusion and exclusion were established to appropriately select and identify the articles for this study.

The inclusion criteria consisted of:

• teacher or faculty, including academic staff
• study in schools or colleges or universities
• empirical research articles
• studies published in full-text

The exclusion criteria consisted of:

• comparative study of teacher job satisfaction in different schools or areas
• studies about the measurement of teacher job satisfaction
• second data study
• book chapters, proceedings, editorials, commentaries, news and dissertations.
• irrelevant articles to the study’s subject
• articles without full-text access

We initially retrieved 331 articles from 8 databases and imported them into Excel, where basic information such as publication type, authors, article title, and abstract was recorded. Following a screening based on publication type, 10 articles were removed. Subsequently, we conducted a title and abstract screening, resulting in the removal of 12 meta-analyses or review studies, 17 articles related to comparative studies, teacher job satisfaction measurement, or secondary data studies, and 171 articles that were irrelevant to our study’s focus (e.g., “life satisfaction”,  “career satisfaction”, scale validation, and evaluation of job satisfaction levels). This left us with 121 articles. We then downloaded and reviewed the full text of each article, excluding 18 due to unavailability of full text, 6 meta-analyses or reviews, 13 articles utilizing secondary data, and 27 articles not directly addressing our main research questions. After these exclusions, our systematic literature review concluded with 57 articles (Figure 1).

Fig.1 PRISMA flow chart

RESULT AND ANALYSIS

An Excel spreadsheet was generated to organize the data of the final 57 articles. The spreadsheet comprised multiple columns presenting various details of the studies, including authors, publication year, article title, abstract, methodology, country of study, study sample, theories, findings, antecedents, outcomes, limitations and future study recommendations. This information served as the initial basis for the subsequent analysis of results.

Publishing Years

Figure 2 shows that more than half of the articles (68.4%) were published in the last two years, with 42.1% published in 2022 and 26.3% in 2023. This trend suggests a growing interest in teacher job satisfaction. The number of publications hit a low point with 3 articles in 2019 and peaked in 2022 with 24 articles.

Fig. 2 Publishing years of the articles

Publishers

As illustrated in Figure 3, all eight databases contain articles addressing teacher job satisfaction. Notably, Frontiers and Mdpi exhibit a higher volume of articles, constituting 28.1% and 19.3% of the total respectively.

Fig. 3 Publishers of the articles

Countries of the Studies

The review highlights the global significance of teacher job satisfaction, with studies conducted in various countries as outlined in Table 1. Notably, China stands out with a substantial portion, accounting for 45.61% of the total research efforts. This prevalence of research in China may stem from the comparatively lower levels of job satisfaction in China compared to many other countries [74].

The cultural and work ethic foundations in China, rooted in Confucian principles, emphasize attributes such as hard work, endurance, collectivism, and the importance of personal networks (guanxi) [74]. Consequently, this can diminish the emphasis on the inherent interest or enjoyment in a job. Furthermore, in China, there is a perception of inadequate salary and limited advancement opportunities, contributing to the overall perception of job dissatisfaction among Chinese workers [74].

TABLE I

Numbers and Proportions of Countries Studied

Theories in the Studies

Moreover, Figure 4 exhibits the predominant theories concerning teacher job satisfaction and their respective frequencies of occurrence, drawing from the analysis of 57 articles within the systematic literature review. The findings indicate the most frequent theories are social exchange theory, job demand resource model, self-determination theory, conservation-of-resources theory, social cognitive career theory, and affective event theory.

Fig. 4 Theories and numbers of the articles

Antecedents of teacher job satisfaction

Reference[51] underscored that predictors of teachers’ job satisfaction encompass administrators’ behaviors, individual variables, and organizational variables. Reference[28] delineated four determinants of job satisfaction, namely individual, organizational, social and family, and psychological factors. Drawing upon these scholarly contributions and the compiled variables, the present study classifies the antecedents of teacher job satisfaction into three principal factors: individual, organizational, social and family dimensions. Individual antecedents encompass factors associated with individual teachers’ personalities, psychology, and so on. Organizational antecedents encompass factors or conditions within an organization that reflect how employees perceive their schools, work, and students. Social and family antecedents include elements related to social and family dynamics.

Each author was tasked with identifying and categorizing antecedents. The literature review revealed 38 variables of individual antecedents, 26 variables of organizational antecedents, and 3 variables of social and family antecedents of teacher job satisfaction.

This study further classifies these factors into broader categories. Some factors may belong to more than one category. For example, the factors “trust in leaders”, and “organizational trust” belong to both personality traits factors, and feelings and emotions factors. Trust is often described as a personality trait, as it is not solely dependent on past experiences but also influenced by dispositional factors [2]. However, according to [25], trust is defined as an emotional state wherein employees feel safe and cared for. Additionally, certain factors share similar meanings or exhibit inclusion relationships. For instance, according to self-determination theory [16], perceived belonging, perceived competence, and perceived autonomy are considered as individual’s three fundamental psychological needs. Another example is working conditions, which encompass not only the physical elements within an employee’s work area but also all aspects of the organization’s culture and the employee’s engagement with their work [4].

After reviewing the definitions and classification criteria provided by the authors, the individual antecedents of teacher job satisfaction were ultimately categorized into the following general categories: feelings and emotions, psychological capital and belief, personality traits, basic psychological needs, working skills, work-related state of mind and attitude (Table 2). Meanwhile, the organizational antecedents were classified into the following general categories: work characteristics, HR factors, leadership, job sources, workplace climate and values, and student factors (Table 3). Additionally, social and family antecedents were identified to include social factors and family factors (Table 4).

Individual Influencing Factors: Feelings and emotions cover a wide range of psychological experiences, that researchers extensively investigate in the context of teacher job satisfaction. Stress [33], burnout [3], [13], and emotional exhaustion [32], [72] have been identified as negatively correlated with job satisfaction. Trust, which exists among various cohorts such as colleagues, managers, and organizations [75], plays a crucial role in determining satisfaction, motivation, engagement, and other positive behaviors [25]. Organizational trust [75], trust in leaders [25], and affective trust among teaching staff [14] have all been demonstrated to be positively associated with job satisfaction. Both positive and negative affect, including emotions—an essential aspect of this phenomenon—are extensively discussed in job satisfaction research. Positive affect (emotion), indicating an individual’s state of activation [36], shows a significant positive correlation with job satisfaction [9], [36], [61], [72]. Conversely, negative affect, characterized by subjective distress and displeasure, exhibits a significant negative relationship with job satisfaction [36], [72]. Furthermore, the study of [17] indicates well-being domains are linked to job satisfaction.

Psychological capital and belief denote the positive psychological resources and attitudes teachers hold toward their work. Studies indicate that higher levels of psychological capital are correlated with increased job satisfaction [23]. Self-efficacy, a component of psychological capital, whether in the form of general self-efficacy or specific self-efficacy, is consistently associated with higher job satisfaction across various studies. Teachers’ self-efficacy [43], occupational self-efficacy [55], and teaching self-efficacy [33], [46], [50] have a positive impact on job satisfaction.

Personality traits refer to an individual’s unique disposition, which influences their interactions with the world. Personality traits serve as notable predictors of job satisfaction [29], [76]. For example, trait mindfulness [61], conscientiousness [49], and gratitude[12] exhibit close associations with job satisfaction.

Basic psychological needs encompass fundamental psychological requirements crucial for individual well-being. As per the Self-determination Theory, these needs include autonomy, competence, and relatedness [16]. Research on teachers demonstrates a positive correlation between basic psychological needs and job satisfaction [39], [61]. However, findings from [60] indicated that among these needs, perceived belonging and perceived competence were positively linked to job satisfaction, whereas perceived autonomy showed no significant association with job satisfaction.

Working skills refer to the abilities, knowledge, and competencies that enable teachers to perform effectively in their jobs. Factors within this category include coping styles [69], tolerance of frustration [44], emotional intelligence [10], [41], [53], emotion regulation ability [40], job crafting [12], and emotional labor [65]. They were found to be positively related to teacher job satisfaction in the previous studies.

The work-related state of mind and attitude encompasses some factors such as work engagement, vigor, commitment, career calling, and professional identity in this category. Numerous studies have consistently demonstrated a positive and significant correlation between teachers’ work engagement and their job satisfaction (eg. [13], [19], [22], [40]). Furthermore, studies suggest that highly engaged teachers typically experience lower levels of job burnout and greater job satisfaction [13]. Additionally, vigor and affective commitment have been identified as linked to teacher job satisfaction [31], while both organizational commitment [11] and teachers’ commitment [43] serve as positive predictors of job satisfaction. Furthermore, career calling has emerged as a predictor of job satisfaction, as employees who view their work as a calling demonstrate heightened dedication and confidence in problem-solving at work [55]. Finally, individuals with a strong sense of professional identity exhibit lower levels of job burnout and higher job satisfaction [57].

TABLE Ⅱ

Individual Antecedents

Organizational Influencing Factors: Work characteristics refer to the inherent attributes or features of a job. Factors in this category include job demands and workload. Job demands have been associated with reduced job satisfaction by undermining teachers’ work engagement (Han et al., 2020). Workload also negatively affects teachers’ job satisfaction, as it generates stress [11].

HR factors pertain to the strategic and coherent management of teachers within a school. Equity [3], pay equity [34], and organizational justice [48] have been identified as positively related to job satisfaction. Moreover, teachers’ perceived empowerment, as outlined by [26], positively influences their job satisfaction through aspects such as influence, decision-making, autonomy, and professional growth. Additionally, [50] underscores that teachers’ autonomy can serve as a positive predictor of job satisfaction. Research by [8] indicates that when teachers develop high intrinsic motivation through psychological empowerment, they tend to experience higher job satisfaction. Structural empowerment could directly affect job satisfaction through access to sources of power, and indirectly influence job satisfaction via pathways through psychological empowerment [8]. Furthermore, promotions have been found to have significant effects on job satisfaction [46].

Leadership in this category encompasses empowering leadership, paternalistic leadership, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, servant leadership, principal’s leadership, principal’s agile leadership, and public leadership behaviors. Empowering leadership [25], [31], transformational leadership [38], servant leadership [59], and agile leadership [48] have been positively associated with teacher job satisfaction, whereas transactional leadership has shown a negative correlation [38]. The public leadership behaviors of school principals also impact teacher job satisfaction [21]. Moreover, findings from a study [56] revealed that among the three dimensions of paternalistic leadership, authoritarian leadership behaviors were associated with increased teacher dissatisfaction, principal moral leadership significantly enhanced teachers’ job satisfaction, and the impact of the principal’s benevolent leadership on teachers’ job satisfaction was not deemed significant.

Job resources specifically denote the organizational elements that assist teachers in attaining work objectives or fostering personal growth and development. Job resources (e.g., teaching resources, administrative support) [22], supervisor support [27], perceived organizational support [13], and working conditions [27] have been identified as significant predictors of teacher job satisfaction. Studies have indicated that job resources encourage teachers’ work engagement, consequently leading to job satisfaction [22].

Workplace climate and values refer to the overall atmosphere, culture, shared values, and beliefs within a workplace. Components within this category include perceptions of organizational climate [47], workplace spirituality [52], shared values [44], and person-organization fit [70]. Research has indicated a significant positive relationship between these factors and job satisfaction.

Student factors encompass elements related to students that impact teacher job satisfaction. Positive student behavior has been identified as having significant effects on job satisfaction [46]. This is attributed to the tendency for teacher satisfaction to rise in response to positive interactions with students, which fosters emotional stability [46].

TABLE Ⅲ

Organizational Antecedents

Social and Family Influencing Factors: In terms of social factors, there exists a positive correlation between social support and teacher job satisfaction [12], [69]. Employees who perceive higher levels of social support may proactively shape their jobs to attain improved working conditions and more resources, thereby enhancing job satisfaction [12].

Concerning family factors, both work-family conflict and family-work conflict were discovered to notably decrease job satisfaction [30], [64]. Conflict experiences prompt teachers to allocate their limited resources to resolve issues, thereby diminishing resources available for work and consequently lowering their job satisfaction [64].

TABLE Ⅳ

Social and Family Antecedents

Outcomes of Teacher Job Satisfaction

The current review categorizes the outcomes of teacher job satisfaction into two overarching groups of impacts: impact on individuals and impact on organizations. Table 5 provides a comprehensive overview of the primary outcomes examined in this investigation. Within the realm of the individual, emphasis is placed on teachers’ well-being and professional development. Meanwhile, the impact on the organization encompasses turnover intention, teacher performance, and organizational climate.

Teacher well-being pertains to the mental, emotional, and psychological states—whether positive or negative—experienced by teachers. It is recognized as both an antecedent and a consequence within the systematic literature. Notably, studies underscore the positive impact of teacher job satisfaction on various facets of well-being, including life satisfaction[11], [36], [39], [53], mental health [50], self-efficacy [76], and vocational delay of gratification [71]. Conversely, a negative association between teacher job satisfaction and burnout, widely examined by researchers (e.g. [23], [57], [70]), underscores job satisfaction’s significant predictive role in mitigating occupational stress [70].

Regarding professional development, a notable finding indicates a significant direct influence of teachers’ job satisfaction on their enhancement of professional capital, encompassing factors such as their inclination to remain in the profession, performance, and professionalism, as delineated by teachers’ perceptions of job satisfaction [7].

Teacher turnover intention is a prominent focus in studies exploring teacher job satisfaction, stemming from the longstanding challenge of teacher turnover that has confronted school administrators for decades [73]. Job satisfaction serves as a pivotal metric for organizations, given its capacity to forecast a range of both favorable and adverse work behaviors and attitudes [73]. Numerous studies have highlighted a negative correlation between teacher job satisfaction and turnover intention (e.g.[3], [30], [34], [41], [60], [73], [75]), with job satisfaction also acting as a mediating factor (e.g. [3], [30], [34], [41], [73], [75]). Additionally, teacher job satisfaction may foster heightened organizational commitment [6].

Teacher performance encompasses the efficacy with which educators fulfill their responsibilities. Research indicates a positive correlation between teacher job satisfaction and various performance-related outcomes, including teachers’ overall performance [38], willingness to engage in inclusive education [44], demonstration of organizational citizenship behavior [18], level of work engagement [10], [71], adaptive performance [52], and teaching effectiveness [54]. Conversely, teacher job satisfaction is inversely associated with teachers’ absenteeism [14]. Moreover, teacher job satisfaction serves as a mediating factor between other variables and these performance-related outcomes. For instance, teacher job satisfaction was identified as a mediating variable between transformational leadership style and teachers’ performance [38]. Additionally, teacher job satisfaction was found to mediate the relationship between tolerance of frustration and their willingness to engage in inclusive education [44]. Furthermore, job satisfaction acted as a mediator in the association between workplace spirituality and adaptive performance [52].

Organizational climate is molded by the collective attributes of the entire organization and the behavior of its members. Notably, organizational climate not only influences teacher job satisfaction but also serves as an outcome thereof. Studies have indicated a reciprocal relationship between teacher job satisfaction and organizational climate [26].

TABLE Ⅴ

Outcomes of Teacher Job Satisfaction

FUTURE RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS

The systematic literature review has offered valuable insights into potential avenues for future research. This section outlines the key recommendations for future research derived from the categorization of 57 articles.

Firstly, there is a call for further examination of job satisfaction in diverse contexts to enhance the generalizability of findings. This includes exploring variations across different countries, areas, types of schools, and industries. Specifically, future research should prioritize the utilization of cross-cultural and cross-country samples, with an emphasis on enhancing cross-cultural comparisons among different nations. To mitigate the influence of regional economic disparities, studies should also incorporate samples representing various geographical areas within a country. While the current literature primarily focuses on kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, high schools, and universities, there is a need to extend research to other educational settings such as higher vocational colleges. Furthermore, investigating job satisfaction in different industries is warranted, as the relationships between variables may be more pronounced in environments characterized by uncertainty and competition.

Secondly, it is noted that the existing literature predominantly utilizes cross-sectional research designs. However, this approach has limitations in establishing causal relationships between variables due to simultaneous assessment of exposure and outcomes. Therefore, future research could benefit from employing experimental or longitudinal research methods to elucidate causal pathways and expand upon existing findings. Additionally, supplementing quantitative analysis with qualitative methods is recommended to gain a deeper understanding of the topic. Future studies should consider employing a comprehensive approach to data collection, incorporating methods such as questionnaires and interviews to mitigate potential biases associated with a single methodological approach.

Thirdly, a significant portion of recent studies on teachers’ job satisfaction have been conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic era. This unique era has presented teachers with unprecedented physical and mental challenges, thereby potentially shaping their perceptions in distinctive ways. Future research endeavors could explore comparative analyses of satisfaction levels during and post-pandemic periods.

Fourthly, concerning the integration of job satisfaction with other theories, future studies should extend their investigation to assess the applicability of job satisfaction within other theoretical frameworks, including job characteristics model [20],  dispositional approach [63], and self-discrepancy theory [24].

Fifthly, while the reviewed literature has identified individual and organizational outcome variables for research, it has largely overlooked outcome variables within the social and familial domains. Future research could explore the association between job satisfaction and teachers’ quality of life beyond the workplace, encompassing aspects such as social health (e.g., social interactions, social status), family health (e.g., marital satisfaction, family well-being), and mental health (e.g., understanding of the value of life, spiritual fulfillment).

Finally, future studies are encouraged to delve deeper into the antecedents of teacher job satisfaction. Several potential antecedents are suggested, including job characteristics (e.g., skill variety, task identity, task significance, feedback), hygiene factors and motivators (e.g., status, job security, salary, recognition, responsibility), as well as the Big Five personality traits (i.e., openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism). Exploring these antecedents can lead to a deeper understanding of the factors influencing teacher job satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

This study systematically reviews the literature on teacher job satisfaction, focusing specifically on the antecedents and outcomes within the past five years. Additionally, it introduces a novel taxonomical classification of the existing literature in this domain, employing a broader categorization scheme. Antecedents of teacher job satisfaction are organized into individual, organizational, social and family dimensions, while outcomes are classified into individual and organizational dimensions. These dimensions are further grouped into more generalized categories, based on the definitions of each variable and criteria established by the authors.

The study has certain limitations. The database utilized, while comprehensive, is not exhaustive as it relies on only eight databases. Additionally, the timeframe of the study restricts analysis to articles published within the past five years.

This study has implications for both theoretical and practical applications. Theoretically, it provides researchers with valuable insights into the current landscape of academic literature on teacher job satisfaction, highlighting areas for future exploration. Practically, the findings can inform human resource management practices across different educational settings, guiding the development of strategies and interventions to improve teacher job satisfaction, retention rates, and overall educational quality. Moreover, it can raise awareness among teachers regarding their professional development and well-being.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors would like to thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers.

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