The collective edge: Multilevel roles of collective efficacy, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies, and demographics in influencing teachers' compassion fatigue and satisfaction

Abstract

Guided by both the job demands and resources model and social-ecological system theory, the study examined the interplay between teachers' self-perceived social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies, collective efficacy, and demographic factors about their compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction across teacher and school levels. Participants included 1431 teachers from 98 schools in a large and urban school district in Northern California in the 2020–2021 school year. Hierarchical linear regression modeling revealed SEL competencies' positive associations with teacher-level and school-level collective efficacy and compassion satisfaction. Conversely, these factors were negatively associated with compassion fatigue. Notably, school-level collective efficacy buffered the negative association between teacher SEL competencies and compassion fatigue, whereas teacher-level collective efficacy buffered the positive association between teacher SEL and compassion satisfaction. Moreover, certain teacher- and school-level demographic factors not only independently associated with compassion fatigue and satisfaction but also moderated the associations between SEL competencies and these outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of improving teachers' SEL competencies and collective efficacy to support their well-being. Furthermore, they highlight the compensatory nature of the interaction between SEL competencies and collective efficacy, operating at both individual and school levels, in shaping teachers' experiences of compassion fatigue and satisfaction. Lastly, the study emphasizes the need for tailored SEL interventions that account for the diverse demographic characteristics of teachers and schools to effectively promote teacher well-being and optimize the beneficial impact of SEL competencies.