The mediating role of hope and empathy in the relationship between pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward the teaching profession and psychological well-being

This study investigates the mediating roles of hope and empathy in the relationship between attitudes toward the teaching profession and psychological well-being among pre-service teachers. The study participants consisted of 431 pre-service teachers selected through a convenience sampling method. The data analysis revealed a significant and positive relationship between the predicted variables. The effect of attitudes toward the teaching profession on psychological well-being was attenuated by the inclusion of the mediating variables empathy, trait hope, and state hope in the model. Thus, empathy, trait hope, and state hope were found to partially mediate the relationship between attitudes toward the teaching profession and psychological well-being. The findings demonstrate the importance of incorporating positive psychology-based interventions focusing on hope and empathy practices into the education of pre-service teachers. Integrating positive psychology practices into teacher education for developing teachers will contribute to the universal enrichment of education policies.