Job Insecurity in the Private Education Sector: The Mediating Role of School Climate in Teacher Well-being
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24667/jcen.v1i3.81Keywords:
Job insecurity, School climate, Teacher well-being, Private schools, Mediating effects, Employment precarityAbstract
This study examines the mediating role of school climate in the relationship between job insecurity and teacher well-being among 294 private school teachers in Ankara, Turkey. Using correlational methodology with multivariate regression analysis, results showed teachers' job security perception was below moderate levels ???? = 2.61, ss = 0.96. School climate dimensions accounted for 55% of variance in job security perception . Collegial teacher behavior ????=-0.255, p < 0.001) and supportive principal behavior ????=-0.197, p < 0.001) positively predicted job security, while restrictive principal behavior ???? = -0.178, p < 0.001) negatively predicted it. These findings demonstrate that organizational climate significantly mediates job insecurity's impact on teacher well-being, with collegial relationships and administrative support serving as critical protective factors. The study contributes to understanding employment precarity in private education by revealing how workplace relationships enhance teacher well-being despite structural job insecurity.
References
Aldridge, J. M., & Fraser, B. J. (2015). Teachers' views of their school climate and its relationship with teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Learning Environments Research, 19(2), 291–307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-015-9198-x
Colak, I., & Altinkurt, Y. (2021). The precarization of educational labor: The examination of teachers' job insecurity perceptions. Educational Process: International Journal, 11(2), 60–95. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2022.112.2
Collie, R. J. (2023). Teacher self-efficacy and burnout: Testing mediation pathways of job dissatisfaction and wellbeing. Teaching and Teacher Education, 126, 104095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104095
Chudgar, A., & Qurbanova, Z. (2021). Similar work, different pay? Private school teacher earnings and job insecurity in India. International Journal of Educational Development, 81, 102330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102330
De Witte, H., Vander Elst, T., & De Cuyper, N. (2015). Job insecurity, health and well-being. In J. Vuori, R. Blonk, & R. H. Price (Eds.), Sustainable working lives: Managing work transitions and health throughout the life course (pp. 109–128). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1572-4_7
Dong, R. K., Huang, J., & Shao, J. (2024). Psychological safety and psychosocial safety climate in educational contexts. Journal of Educational Research Online, 24(2), 48–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2024.03.015
Dreer, B., Beaton, M., Flückiger, K. B., & Schmitz, L. (2023). On the outcomes of teacher wellbeing: A systematic review of quantitative and mixed-methods studies. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1205179. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1205179
Glambek, M., Matthiesen, S. B., Hetland, J., & Einarsen, S. (2014). Workplace bullying as an antecedent to job insecurity and intention to leave: A 6-month prospective study. Human Resource Management Journal, 24(3), 255–268. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12036
Harrison, M. G., Wang, Y., Cheng, A. S., Yi Tam, C. K., Pan, Y. L., & King, R. B. (2023). School climate and teacher well-being: The role of basic psychological need satisfaction in student- and school-related domains. Teaching and Teacher Education, 153, 104819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104819
Li, L., Liu, Z., & Wu, S. (2025). Burnout among Chinese EFL university instructors: The mediating roles of emotion regulation and job demands. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1549466. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1549466
OECD. (2025). Education at a glance 2025: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/3197152b-en
Probst, T. M. (2002). Layoffs and tradeoffs: Production, quality, and safety demands under the threat of job loss. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 7(3), 211–220. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.7.3.211
Shoss, M. K. (2017). Job insecurity: An integrative review and agenda for future research. Journal of Management, 43(6), 1911–1939. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316664028
Vander Elst, T., Van den Broeck, A., De Witte, H., & De Cuyper, N. (2012). The mediating role of frustration of psychological needs in the relationship between job insecurity and work-related well-being. Work & Stress, 26(3), 252–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2012.714543





