Recently, scientific theories on career satisfaction (CS) have been promoted worldwide. Research on the subject has become more and more popular, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study adds to the existing literature by investigating the impact of organizational support on career satisfaction through the mediation role of job crafting and work engagement among Chinese teachers. A diverse sample of teachers (n = 3147) was drawn from various schools in Zhejiang province (P.R. China), from June to September 2021. SPSS 26 software with PROCESS macro and JASP was used to analyze the data. The findings demonstrate that perceived organizational support (POS), job crafting (JC), and work engagement (WE) have a significant and positive relation with teachers’ career satisfaction. POS was serially associated with JC (b = 0.34, p = 0.001), CS (b = 0.40, p = 0.001), and WE (b = 0.49, p0.001). The residual direct pathways for JC → CS (b = 0.55, p = 0.001, 95% CI = [0.51, 0.60]) and for WE → CS (b = 0.47, p = 0.001, 95% CI = [0.44, 0.50]) were significant. Sequentially, JC and WE mediated the relation between POS and CS. The multiple mediation model supported our general hypothesis that JC and WE mediate the relationship between POS and CS.

(1) Purpose: Previous studies investigated the positive relationship between professional identity and career satisfaction in teachers, but the underlying reasons were not explored. Therefore, the present study explores the mediating effects of two variables, namely, psychological empowerment and work engagement on the relationship between professional identity and career satisfaction. (2) Method: The present study used the professional identity scale, psychological empowerment scale, Utrecht Work Engagement scale and career satisfaction scale to investigate 2104 teachers (Mage = 39.50 years, SD = 8.74) in a province in China. The demographic variables (e.g., gender, age, teaching age) were controlled as covariates to conduct conservative predictions. (3) Result: (a) professional identity is positively related to career satisfaction; (b) psychological empowerment and career satisfaction play parallel mediator roles between professional identity and career satisfaction; (c) psychological empowerment and career satisfaction play serial mediator roles between professional identity and career satisfaction. (4) Limitations: Data were collected by participant self-report. This method may lead to recall bias. Further, we adopted a cross-sectional rather than experimental or longitudinal design, thus precluding causal conclusions. Lastly, it would be useful to validate our findings with a national sample. (5) Conclusions: The present study indicates that the relationship between professional identity is positively associated with teacher career satisfaction. More importantly, professional identity can indirectly make an impact on teacher career satisfaction through the single mediating effects of psychological empowerment and work engagement, and the chain mediating effect, by improving the level of psychological empowerment, and thereby increasing work engagement.

Prior research has shown that moral judgment, moral elevation, and moral identity contribute to prosocial behavior. However, how these three motivating factors interact in predicting prosocial behaviors is not yet clear. The current study proposed and examined a moderated mediation model to illustrate the specific process of how prosocial behavior is motivated by these factors. A total of 264 Chinese undergraduate and graduate students participated in the present study (140 females; age range 17–26, M = 20.25, SD = 1.57). Moral judgment competence, intensity of moral elevation, and moral identity were measured by self-reported scales, and the tendency to engage in prosocial behavior was assessed in a simulated “Ask for help” situation. The multiple regressive results showed that moral elevation mediated the effect of moral judgment on prosocial behavior, and moral identity moderated this mediation through interacting with moral elevation. However, within the proposed model, the mediating effect of moral elevation was stronger in women than in men, while the moderating role of moral identity appeared only in women. These findings imply different methods for men and women to enhance their prosocial behaviors, including the need to pay more attention to developing moral reasoning in men while putting more emphasis on evoking moral emotion and moral traits in women. Together, these results supported the assumptive model and provided a comprehensive framework to explain prosocial behaviors.

Teachers’ job satisfaction is a prominent aspect that determines workplace well-being and job performance. With the outbreak of COVID-19, changes in the teaching process have emerged (e.g., the shift to online classes and an increase in teaching hours), which might be affecting job satisfaction. A closer look at predictors of teachers’ job satisfaction and the level to which they have influenced teaching satisfaction during the period of COVID-19 pandemic is very important. This survey involved a sample of 2886 Chinese teachers to examine the effects of teachers’ work values on their job satisfaction through the mediating role of work engagement. The analysis by SPSS 25 and PROCESS for SPSS software was run, and the results showed a strong effect of teachers’ work values on job satisfaction (β = 0.203, SE = 0.203, p < 0.01) and of work values on job satisfaction through the mediating role of work engagement (β = 0.204, SE = 0.017, p < 0.01). From the correlation analysis, work values strongly correlated with work engagement (r = 0.499, p < 0.01) and job satisfaction (r = 0.360, p < 0.01). Teachers’ work values and work engagement played a predicting role on job satisfaction among Chinese teachers during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Burnout is a serious problem in the teaching profession. Research suggests that career calling could be regarded as a protective factor against burnout; however, the mediating mechanism underlying this relationship remains to be explored. The purpose of this study was to test the mediating roles of work engagement and teachers' psychological capital. A total of 3,300 teachers completed a self-report questionnaire. Results showed that the relationship between career calling and burnout was mediated by work engagement and teacher psychological capital. These findings provide insights for preventing burnout among teacher groups.

Behavioral synchronization has been found to facilitate social bonding and prosociality but the neural mechanisms underlying such effects are not well understood. In the current study, 60 dyads were hyperscanned using functional near-infrared spectroscopy while they performed either a synchronous key-pressing task or a control task. After the task, they were asked to perform the dictator game to assess their prosocial behavior. We also measured three potential mediating variables: self–other overlap, perceived similarity and interpersonal neural synchronization. Results showed that dyads in the synchronization group were higher in behavioral synchronization, interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) at the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, self–other overlap, perceived similarity and prosociality than those in the control group. INS was significantly associated with prosocial behaviors and self–other overlap. After testing four meditation models, we found that self–other overlap and INS played a serial mediation role in the effect of behavioral synchronization on prosociality. These results contribute to our understanding of the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying the effect of behavioral synchronization on prosocial behavior.