Unpacking the role of school climate factors in fostering teacher enjoyment and self-efficacy in higher education

PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0329001 August 13, 2025 5 / 17 Method Based on our conceptual framework, we used a cross-sectional survey methodology following quantitative approaches. This section presents detailed information regarding the research participants, data gathering process, statistical analysis, main variables, and associated measures. Ethics declarations All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. The experimental protocols were approved by the Ethics Committee of Hunan Normal University (approval number: 2024429). All participants provided electronic informed consent to participate in this research. Participants A total of 791 Chinese college teachers from various provinces participated in the study. They were recruited through a call for participation on social media or via direct invitations. Among the participants, 493 were female (62.3%) and 298 were male (37.7%). The majority of respondents were aged between 26–35 (n = 238; 30.1%) and 36–45 (n = 305; 38.6%). In terms of teaching experience, most participants had been teaching as college teachers for one to 10 years. Regarding professional titles, the largest group consisted of lecturers (n = 333, 42.1%) and associate professors (n = 252, 31.9%). In terms of educational qualifications, 198 teachers held a PhD, 448 held an MA degree, 141 had a BA degree, and four had an associate degree. Measurements This section first outlines the original design of the instruments used, followed by results from confirmatory factor analyses

(CFA) to assess their construct validity in the context of our study. Fig 1. The hypothesized model of the study. Note: H1.1-H1.5 hypothesized the relationships between school climate factors and teacher enjoyment; H2.1-H2.5 hypothesized the relationships between school climate factors and teacher self-efficacy; H3.1-H3.5 hypothesized the mediation effects of teacher self-efficacy on school climate factors and teacher enjoyment. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0329001.g001