Objective This study aims to examine the relationship between teaching autonomy and teachers' organizational commitment based on the conservation of resources theory and to reveal the mediating roles of self-efficacy and career well-being in this relationship. Methods The sample consisted of 2,996 teachers from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) Shanghai database. Partial least squares structural equation modeling and the bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method were employed for data analysis. Results Teaching autonomy was significantly and positively correlated with teachers' organizational commitment, self-efficacy, and career well-being. Both self-efficacy and career well-being were significantly and positively related to teachers' organizational commitment. Self-efficacy was also significantly and positively associated with teachers' career well-being. Furthermore, self-efficacy and career well-being not only functioned as independent mediators between teaching autonomy and teachers' organizational commitment but also had a chain mediating role. Conclusion This study reveals the mediating roles of self-efficacy and career well-being, thereby contributing to understanding the mechanisms through which teaching autonomy influences teachers' organizational commitment. Meanwhile, school administrators can enhance teachers' organizational commitment by increasing their teaching autonomy, self-efficacy, and career well-being.
Wang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.