The Impact of Teacher Well-Being, Joy, and Effectiveness On Student Outcomes and Sustainable Education

Abstract

This literature review investigates the interrelated concepts of teacher well-being, joy, and effectiveness, focusing on the conditions that contribute to sustainable and fulfilling professional lives for educators. Specifically, it addresses the problem of teacher burnout and explores the psychological and institutional factors that support or hinder teacher flourishing. The guiding question examines how teacher well-being can be supported to enhance both educator effectiveness and student outcomes. Key findings from recent studies highlight that higher teacher well-being contributes to more stable school functioning, while lower well-being is linked to absenteeism, reduced instructional quality, and burnout (Hascher & Waber, 2021). Teachers' self-efficacy has been found to positively predict students' mental health (Pap et al., 2023), and teacher well-being within the school context is associated with students' life satisfaction via school-specific well-being (Zhan et al., 2024). This review synthesizes findings across disciplines and proposes that teacher well-being is not only vital for professional sustainability but also for fostering positive developmental outcomes in students. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of school administrators' supportive behaviors as a critical factor in promoting teacher job satisfaction and subjective well-being.