Self-Regulation and Metal Well-Being in a Cohort of African Teachers: The Sabpa Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to obtain an understanding of the role of self-regulation in the well-being of Black South African teachers working within a highly stressful environment. It also aimed to determine the role of specific sub-constructs of self-regulation in the well-being of the teachers. The quantitative study made use of a cross-sectional design and incorporated Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The group was divided into tertiles according to their levels of self-regulation as reported on the Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSRQ). The descriptive statistics indicated that participants from the first and third tertiles experienced similar levels of stress, but that the group with high self-regulation levels experienced higher levels of well-being than the group with low self-regulation. Correlation analysis confirmed that there is a strong association between self-regulation and mental well-being. With the use of SEM, the nature of the relationship between self-regulation and its sub-constructs and wellbeing was determined. The results indicated that although all of the sub-constructs contribute to well-being, three sub-constructs seem to have a unique contribution to well-being. Lastly, the results indicated that self-regulation performs a similar role in the well-being of individuals from a collectivistic group as individuals with an individualistic orientation.