Teachers’ sense of calling is one of the important factors contributing to their well-being, as it
is considered one of the key aspects of their professional lives. Individuals who experience
their work as a calling tend to demonstrate greater work engagement, a stronger desire for
challenges, and a greater interest in personal and professional development. A sense of calling
is statistically associated with higher job satisfaction, which may also contribute to an
individual’s life satisfaction. In the empirical part of this master’s thesis, we examined the
relationship between a sense of calling and two aspects of well-being, namely life satisfaction
and job satisfaction, among primary school classroom teachers. We also examined whether
teachers differed in these variables according to their length of service, the grade they taught,
and the environment in which their primary school was located. The sample consisted of 90
primary school classroom teachers who completed questionnaires measuring sense of calling,
life satisfaction, and job satisfaction. The study was conducted as part of an internal research
project at the Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, entitled Character Strengths and
Well-Being of Students and Education Professionals, led by Dr P. Gradišek. The results
showed that primary school classroom teachers reported a strong sense of calling. We also
found relatively high levels of life satisfaction and job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was more
strongly associated with sense of calling than life satisfaction was. We found statistically
significant differences in sense of calling and job satisfaction among primary school
classroom teachers with different lengths of service, whereas no statistically significant
differences were found in life satisfaction. Statistically significant differences in job
satisfaction were also found according to the environment in which the school was located. In
addition, the results showed that the grade taught by primary school classroom teachers was
not significantly associated with their job satisfaction. The study makes an important
contribution to research on the sense of calling among primary school classroom teachers, as
this topic has not previously been examined in the Slovenian context. It also contributes to
research on the relationship between sense of calling, life satisfaction, and job satisfaction.
This topic is particularly relevant at a time when interest in enrolling in teacher education
programmes is declining and an increasing number of graduates of teacher education
programmes are seeking employment in other sectors. The findings provide a detailed insight
into the satisfaction of primary school classroom teachers and the way they experience their
work.
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