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 9 / 17 The correlations between five aspects of school climate and teachers’ enjoyment and self-efficacy were examined, and the results revealed that teachers’ perceptions of collaboration with colleagues, school resources, instructional innova- tion, and involvement in decision-making were directly and positively related to teacher enjoyment (supporting H1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5). However, the path between teacher-student relationships and teacher enjoyment (H1.2) was not statistically significant (β = −0.008, p = 0.854). In terms of teacher self-efficacy, the results revealed that a collaborative and innovative school climate were significant predictors of teachers’ self-efficacy (supporting H2.1, H2.4). Conversely, the paths between teacher- student relationships, school resources, participation in decision-making, and teachers’ self-efficacy (H2.2, H2.3, H2.5) were not significant (β = −0.039, p = 0.384; β = 0.084, p = 0.051; β = 0.071, p = 0.119). Additionally, through the bootstrapping method with 5000 re-samplings, we examined the significance of indirect effects (see Table 4). Our results confirmed that teacher self-efficacy functions as a mediator between two relationships. Specif- ically, instructional innovation and collaboration with colleagues exerted significant indirect effects on teacher enjoyment via teacher self-efficacy (supporting H3.1, H3.4). Findings and discussion This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the relationships between school

climate factors, teacher enjoyment, and self-efficacy. Three key findings emerge from the result analysis. First, four of the five school climate-collaboration with colleague collaboration, decision-making involvement, resource availability, and instructional innovation-demonstrated significant positive effects on teacher enjoyment. Second, instructional innovation and collaboration in the workplace showed direct positive associations with teacher self-efficacy. Furthermore, mediation analysis confirmed teacher self-efficacy’s pivotal role in mediating the effects of these two factors on teacher enjoyment. School climate and teacher enjoyment The study findings demonstrated that school climate factors significantly influence teachers’ emotional experiences, with positive perceptions of the work environment correlating with increased teacher enjoyment. This confirms that teacher enjoyment is not merely an individual psychological state, but an eco-psychological construct shaped by ongoing teacher- environment interactions. This co-constructive perspective corresponds with Bronfenbrenner’s theory, which emphasized that human development arises through continuous, reciprocal interactions with ecological systems [94]. Building upon this framework, we explored the role of various school climate factors in shaping teacher enjoyment at both the micro- and mesosystem levels. At the micro level, teachers’ perception of collaboration with colleagues is positively associated with their enjoyment,

indicating that collegial interactions, such as co-teaching, joint lesson planning, collaborative curriculum development, and discussions regarding students’ individual needs, contribute to more positive emotional outcomes. This finding not only aligns with Erb’s observation regarding colleague-supported positive emotions but also quantitatively corroborates Huang et al.’s established association between collaboration and positive emotions [95,96]. Specifically, when teachers opt to work together, the social interaction inherent in teamwork serves as a key mechanism for enhancing their work enjoyment [97,98]. In theory, this result validates Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build Theory explaining that effective collaboration provides both material and emotional support, helping individuals build personal resources that can increase joy, achieve- ment, and a sense of community [99–101]. However, our study found no direct correlation between teacher-student relationships and teacher enjoyment among Chinese college teachers. This could be attributed to the complex nature of teacher-student relationships, which are deeply shaped by cultural and community contexts [102]. In Chinese culture, traditionally influenced by Confucian values, there is a strong emphasis on hierarchy relationships [103], where teachers are seen as authoritative figures whose actions are rarely questioned by students [104]. The respect fosters cooperation, which in turn facilitates classroom teaching [105]. However, this respect and cooperation are often based more on cultural

expectations and formality rather than on emotional or interpersonal dynamics. As such, while these cultural norms create