Association between Job Satisfaction, Role Conflict, and Role Ambiguity among Elementary School Teachers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background The teaching profession is highly demanding, requiring high levels of emotional and psychological well-being. To help teachers cope with their job challenges, it is critical to recognize their signs of dissatisfaction at work and provide the necessary support. This study aimed to investigate the level of job satisfaction and identify associated factors among elementary school teachers. Methods A cross-sectional study with multistage cluster sampling was conducted among elementary school teachers in Tabriz, Iran. From each of the 11 selected schools (both public and private), 470 elementary teachers were eligible to participate in the study. Data were collected using validated questionnaires: the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) for job satisfaction and the Role Conflict and Ambiguity (RCA) scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression were used to examine relationships among variables and identify significant predictors of job satisfaction. Elementary school teaching demands significant emotional and psychological well-being. Recognizing and addressing teacher dissatisfaction is crucial. This study investigated job satisfaction and associated factors among elementary teachers in Tabriz, Iran. A cross-sectional study using multistage cluster sampling was conducted with 470 teachers from 11 schools (public and private). Data were collected via the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) and the Role Conflict and Ambiguity (RCA) scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze relationships and identify predictors of job satisfaction. Results More than half (54.2%) reported low job satisfaction. Job satisfaction showed significant negative correlations with both role conflict (r = − 0.49, p < 0.001) and role ambiguity (r = − 0.47, p < 0.001). The multiple linear regression model accounted for 29.1% of the variance in job satisfaction (adjusted R² = 0.291, F = 53.734, p < 0.001). Higher levels of role conflict (β = − 3.621, p < 0.001) and role ambiguity (β = − 4.472, p < 0.001), greater teaching experience (β = − 3.831, p < 0.01), and insufficient family income (β = − 4.512, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of lower job satisfaction. Conversely, teaching in a public school (β = 4.312, p < 0.01) and being female (β = 3.273, p < 0.01) were associated with higher job satisfaction. Conclusion The study finds high levels of job dissatisfaction among elementary school teachers in Tabriz, closely linked to role conflict, role ambiguity, and socioeconomic factors. These