School principals' social support and teachers' basic need satisfaction: The mediating role of job demands and job resources

Jasper Maas; Simone Schoch; Urte Scholz; Pamela Rackow; Julia Schüler; Mirko Wegner; Roger Keller

doi:10.1007/s11218-022-09730-6

School principals' social support and teachers' basic need satisfaction: The mediating role of job demands and job resources

Soc Psychol Educ. 2022;25(6):1545-1562. doi: 10.1007/s11218-022-09730-6. Epub 2022 Oct 31.

Authors

Jasper Maas¹, Simone Schoch², Urte Scholz³, Pamela Rackow⁴, Julia Schüler⁵, Mirko Wegner⁶, Roger Keller²

Affiliations

¹ Leiden University, Leiden Institute of Education and Child Studies, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, Netherlands.
² Zurich University of Teacher Education, Centre for Inclusion and Health in Schools, Lagerstrasse 2, 8090 Zürich, Switzerland.
³ Department of Psychology, Applied Social and Health Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14 / Box 14, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
⁴ Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA Psychology, Stirling, UK.
⁵ Department of Sports Science, Sport Psychology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.
⁶ Institute of Human Movement Science, Health Sciences, University of Hamburg, Mollerstrasse 10, 20148 Hamburg, Germany.

Abstract

Many teachers report high levels of occupational stress. Teachers' basic need satisfaction is essential for teachers' well-being at work. Social support from school principals is assumed to play an important role for teachers' basic need satisfaction. However, the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between social support from school principals and teachers' basic need satisfaction are mostly unknown. Previous research suggests that job demands and job resources may play an important mediating role. Therefore, we examine whether teachers' perceived job demands and job resources serve as mediators between social support from the school principal and teachers' basic need satisfaction. Using longitudinal data of N = 1071 teachers over the course of one school year, we applied structural equation modelling to test the hypothesised mediation model. Results showed that the relationship between social support from the school principal and teachers' basic need satisfaction was mediated by teachers' perceived job demands and job resources. Particularly, the job demand 'unclear organisational conditions' and job resource 'social support from colleagues' indicated the strongest effects on teachers' basic need satisfaction. These findings emphasise the responsibility of school principals to provide social support to their teachers and create a well-structured and supportive workplace. In doing so, school principals contribute to a work environment in which teachers can thrive.

Keywords: Basic need satisfaction; Job demands; Job resources; School principals; Social support.