The Mediating Effect of Motivation on the Relationship between Work Passion and Job Satisfaction in Selected Private Secondary Schools in Nakhon Nayok Province
Keywords:
Work Passion, Job Satisfaction, Motivation, Nakhon Nayok, MediationAbstract
This study explores how motivation mediates the relationship between teachers' work passion and job satisfaction within the academic environment. It specifically addresses the lack of clarity in understanding how work passion influences job satisfaction when motivation serves as a mediating variable. Using a cross-sectional, correlational, non-experimental quantitative research design, the study analyzes data from 200 teachers in four schools in Nakhon Nayok Province, Thailand, through descriptive and inferential statistics (i.e., correlation, stepwise multiple regression, and mediation analyses). The results indicated that R² = 0.762, suggesting that approximately 76.2% of the variance in job satisfaction can be explained by changes in factors within work passion. Among these factors, Sense of Learning is shown to be a strong predictor (β = 0.5263, p < .001), highlighting its critical role in enhancing job satisfaction. Additionally, motivation fully mediated the relationship between work passion and job satisfaction, as evidenced by a significant indirect effect (β = 0.6001, bootstrapped 95% CI [0.5333, 0.6747], p < .001). The study underscores the pivotal role of motivation as a mediator, emphasizing that work passion enhances job satisfaction primarily through its influence on motivation. However, its cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and future research could adopt a mixed-methods approach, combining longitudinal quantitative data and qualitative insights to examine how these relationships evolve. The findings offer practical implications for educational institutions, highlighting the need to cultivate professional learning experiences that sustain teachers' motivation and job satisfaction.
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