The latent construct of teacher care: relations with professional attitude, subjective well-being, and burnout among primary school teachers

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between the phenomenon of teacher care and the outcomes of attitude, well-being, and burnout to better understand these constructs. The study was conducted in 2024–2025 on a sample of 498 teachers. In this study, the Teacher Care Scale, the Attitude Towards the Teaching Profession Scale, the Teacher Subjective Well-Being Scale, and the Burnout-Educator Form (Turkish adaptation) were used. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to test the research model. The Teacher Care Scale items were reverse-coded before analysis so that higher scores indicate a higher level of care. The model's fit values were evaluated, a path diagram was created, and the direct and indirect effects of the model were analyzed. Findings indicated that burnout predicted well-being negatively and highly. Teacher care predicted teacher burnout negatively and highly, and its total effect on teacher attitude was positive and operated through burnout. Teacher care indirectly predicted teacher attitude only through burnout, whereas subjective well-being did not mediate this relationship. The research results are discussed within the relevant literature, and recommendations for the future are offered.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Psychology, 2026 · DOI ↗