Job performance, job satisfaction, and workload as correlates of occupational self-efficacy in educators from rural areas of Peru

Objective To examine the associations of job performance, job satisfaction, and workload with occupational self-efficacy among educators in rural areas of Peru. Materials and methods A cross-sectional, explanatory-correlational study with latent variables was conducted using a non-probability sample of 457 educators from rural areas of Puno, Peru, with a mean age of 44 years; the majority were women (57.3%). The Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form (OSS-SF), Individual Work Performance Scale, Warr, Cook, and Wall Job Satisfaction Scale, and Workload Scale (ECT) were administered. All variables were assessed simultaneously, at a single time point, through self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with the weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimator was used to estimate the associations among the study variables. Results Job performance was the only variable showing a significant, positive, and moderate direct association with occupational self-efficacy ( β = 0.68); together, the three variables explained 43% of its variance ( R 2 = 0.43). Workload was negatively correlated with job performance ( r = −0.31) and job satisfaction ( r = −0.26), whereas job performance was positively correlated with job satisfaction ( r = 0.55). In contrast, workload ( β = −0.03) and job satisfaction ( β = −0.05) did not show significant direct associations with occupational self-efficacy. Conclusion Self-perceived job performance was the only variable uniquely associated with occupational self-efficacy and was positively associated with job satisfaction among educators in rural areas. In contrast, workload was negatively associated with both job performance and job satisfaction, without a significant direct association with occupational self-efficacy. Given the cross-sectional design, these associations should not be interpreted as causal; nonetheless, supporting teachers’ job performance and improving working conditions may be promising targets to promote wellbeing and educational quality, which should be examined in longitudinal and intervention studies.