Abstract:
The stresses faced by teachers in their professional practice are well documented worldwide and the situation is no different in Chile. Many teachers find it stressful to carry out their role, meaning that staying in their job becomes a challenge. This research aimed to analyse the associations between teachers’ personal attributes and workplace thriving among Chilean teachers. Network analysis was used to examine three dimensions of teacher thriving: teachers' self-perceptions of their adaptability, personal strengths, and positive mindset. Seven personal attributes were examined to provide a well-rounded understanding of predictors: workplace buoyancy, self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth. Together, these factors traverse important self-beliefs and experiences. Among 241 teachers, results showed that workplace buoyancy, self-acceptance, mastery of the environment, and personal growth were most strongly associated with teacher thriving. In other words, teachers who take pride in who they are and the life they lead, perceive themselves as capable of taking the necessary steps to improve, and, over time, feel that they continue to learn and improve as part of a constant process of study, change, and growth. Our results suggest that future research aimed at improving teachers' workplace thriving could develop interventions that foster these personal factors, which were found to be directly and uniquely related to thriving. The importance of supporting teacher thriving by considering personal attributes as key variables to achieve this important task is discussed.