Boosting teacher work engagement: the mediating role of psychological capital through emotion regulation

INTRODUCTION: This study examines the predictors of work engagement among English teachers, focusing on the mediating role of psychological capital between teacher emotion regulation and work engagement. METHODS: A sample of 486 Chinese teachers participated in this research and completed self-report measures assessing emotion regulation, psychological capital, and work engagement. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the proposed mediation model. RESULTS: The results revealed a positive correlation between instructor emotion regulation and both psychological capital and work engagement. Furthermore, psychological capital emerged as a significant mediator in the relationship between emotion regulation and work engagement. DISCUSSION: The findings underscore the significance of enhancing teacher emotion regulation and psychological capital to potentially foster work engagement among educators. These results contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms that promote work engagement and have implications for the development of targeted interventions in the educational context.