The Impact of Job Resources and Teaching Self-Efficacy on Rural Teachers' Agency

Background The significance of agency in fostering the professional growth and instructional prowess of teachers, particularly those serving in rural regions of mainland China, is undeniable. Confronted with distinct challenges such as scarce resources and isolated work settings, understanding the intricate dynamics influencing teacher agency among rural educators becomes paramount. This research endeavors to delve deeply into how rural teachers' perceived job resources and their intrinsic sense of self-efficacy collectively contribute to shaping their agency. The ultimate goal is to provide valuable insights for policymakers, administrators, and educators, aiming to enhance teacher agency. Methods To fulfill this purpose, a comprehensive survey was administered via an electronic questionnaire platform to a targeted online community of rural teachers. After rigorous data collection, a substantial sample of 625 valid responses was secured for analysis. Employing SPSS 20, a two-tiered analytical strategy was undertaken. Initially, descriptive statistical analyses, encompassing T-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson correlations, were conducted to establish preliminary relationships between variables. Subsequently, Hayes' PROCESS macro Model 4, coupled with bootstrapping methods, was utilized to rigorously test the proposed mediation model, examining the mediating effect of teaching self-efficacy on the relationship between various job resource variables (teaching resources, administrative support, colleague support, and parental support) and teacher agency. Results The study yielded several pivotal findings. Firstly, the average agency level among rural teachers was moderate, scoring 3.53 out of 5, indicating potential for further enhancement. Secondly, teaching resources (β = 0.163), administrative support (β = 0.150), colleague support (β = 0.099), and parental support (β = 0.163) each significantly and positively predict teacher agency. Thirdly, teaching self-efficacy emerges as a strong predictor of teacher agency (β values ranging from 0.785 to 0.822, p < 0.001) after controlling for the respective job resource variables. Lastly, teaching self-efficacy significantly mediates the relationships between teaching resources (indirect effect = 0.269), administrative support (indirect effect = 0.284), colleague support (indirect effect = 0.451), parental support (indirect effect = 0.302) and teacher agency, respectively. These findings underscore the importance of job resources and teaching self-efficacy in fostering teacher agency, with self-efficacy playing a central mediating role. Conclusions Based on these findings, the study underscores the necessity for a holistic approach to promoting rural teachers' agency, addressing both external job resources and internal factors like self-efficacy. It is imperative for policymakers and education administrators to prioritize initiatives aimed at augmenting teaching resources, fostering a supportive work environment, and reinforcing teachers' self-belief and professional competence. However, limitations include potential biases from self-reported data, the cross-sectional design preventing causal inferences, and restricted generalizability due to the specific China' s rural context. Future research should address these limitations through longitudinal designs and broader samples.