Unpacking academic professionalism and teacher well-being: The roles of leadership support, psychological capital, and digital literacy in higher education

Abstract

Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources Model and Conservation of Resources theory, this study investigates how leadership support and psychological capital influence academic professionalism and, in turn, affect university teachers’ well-being. Moreover, the mediating effect of academic professionalism and the moderating effect of digital literacy are also discussed. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining survey data from 382 Chinese university teachers and semi-structured interviews from 8 participants. Results from partial least squares structural equation modeling supported all six hypotheses. Leadership support and psychological capital significantly positively affected academic professionalism, which in turn predicted well-being. Mediation and moderation effects were also confirmed. Qualitative findings further revealed that intrinsic motivation, peer benchmarking, emotional support, and digital competence contributed to teachers’ professional engagement and psychological satisfaction. These findings enrich the understanding of academic professionalism as a dynamic resource and highlight the importance of institutional, personal, and digital enablers of teacher well-being. Implications for policy, faculty development, and future research are discussed.