The moderating effects of teacher\u27s self-efficacy on the relationship of job satisfaction to teacher\u27s autonomy, perceived collective efficacy and supervisory support

Self-determination theory posits that job satisfaction is predicted by personal and social factors that serve as resources in the workplace (Deci et al., 2001). Teachers need to feel autonomous, competent and related. These needs are fulfilled from perceiving teachers autonomy, collective efficacy and supervisory support. As these needs are fulfilled, job satisfaction may result. Teachers as cognizing individuals rely on their belief in their capability to manage tasks and regulate the impact of personal and social factors in their workload, personal and social spheres of teaching. Social cognitive theory puts in self-efficacy at the center of a model whereby predictors influence an outcome. This study corroborated the model that teachers efficacy dimensions moderate the relationship of job satisfaction and autonomy, perceived collective efficacy and supervisory support. Utilizing scales measuring each of the five variables among 639 teachers in a hierarchical regression analyses, the study found that teachers autonomy, perceived collective efficacy and supervisory support predicted workload, personal and social job satisfaction. Furthermore, teachers efficacies in overcoming challenges and in gaining others trust and appreciation (Caprara et al., 2003) moderated between supervisory support and workload, personal and social job satisfaction. Specifically, supervisory support enhanced personal and social job satisfaction among highly efficacious teachers in overcoming challenges and among the less efficacious teachers in gaining others trust and appreciation. In vi contrast, supervisory support worsened workload job satisfaction among the highly efficacious teachers in gaining others trust and appreciation. Keywords: efficacy in the actual conduct of teaching, efficacy in overcoming challenges, efficacy in gaining others trust and appreciation, personal job satisfaction, social job satisfaction, workload job satisfactio