Demonstrating the interplay between resilience, engagement, and wellbeing among Chinese teachers: the mediating role of self-efficacy

Introduction Teacher resilience has been widely recognized as an important psychological resource that supports educators' professional functioning and wellbeing. However, the mechanisms through which resilience influences teachers' work engagement and wellbeing, particularly the mediating role of self-efficacy, remain insufficiently explored in the Chinese educational context. This study aimed to examine resilience as a predictor of work engagement and wellbeing and to investigate the mediating role of self-efficacy. Methods A total of 411 Chinese educators participated in the study. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires measuring resilience, self-efficacy, work engagement, and wellbeing. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed structural framework and mediation effects. Results The results indicated that resilience significantly and positively predicted both teachers' work engagement and wellbeing. Resilience and self-efficacy jointly explained 43.6% of the variance in wellbeing. In addition, self-efficacy was found to be a significant mediator in the relationships between resilience and work engagement, as well as between resilience and wellbeing. Discussion These findings underscore the roles of resilience and self-efficacy in enhancing teachers' engagement and psychological wellbeing. The study suggests that interventions aimed at strengthening resilience and efficacy beliefs may improve instructional effectiveness and support teachers' sustainable professional development in educational settings.