Relationship between Mental Health and Teaching Efficacy of Indian School Teachers: A Moderated Mediation Model of Autonomy and Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the complex psychological mechanism involved in the relationship between school teachers' mental health and teaching efficacy with the mediating role of emotional intelligence and the moderation of teacher autonomy. It used a descriptive survey method inside an Ex Post Facto study design randomly selecting 500 (female=229) Indian elementary school teachers teaching in grades one to eight. A structural equation model was used to examine the covert relationships among the constructs. The results indicated that mental health was positively associated with teaching efficacy, discretely and via emotional intelligence. Teachers’ autonomy partially mediated the indirect effect such that participants with high teacher autonomy demonstrated a stronger indirect link than those experiencing low autonomy. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the synergy between mental health and teaching efficacy with the policy implication for better mental health management for school teachers by paying specific attention to these vital factors like teacher autonomy and emotional intelligence at a time when 15 per cent of Indian school teachers are found suffering from mental health issues and state of teacher autonomy among these schools is lamentably low