Abstract:
This study investigates the impact of Quality of Work Life (QWL) on teacher
engagement in the Giribawa Division of the Mahawa Education Zone, Kurunegala
District, Sri Lanka, with resilience serving as a mediating variable. Teacher
engagement is crucial for enhancing student outcomes and maintaining instructional
quality, especially in resource-constrained rural settings. Many Sri Lankan teachers
face challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, high occupational stress, and
limited professional development opportunities, which can diminish their
performance and motivation. The primary objective of this study is to examine how
QWL influences teacher engagement and to identify the mediating role of resilience
in this relationship. Although prior studies have explored QWL across various
professional fields, limited attention has been paid to resilience as a contributing
factor in rural educational settings. This research employed a quantitative design
involving 190 teachers selected through stratified random sampling. Data were
collected using a structured questionnaire assessing QWL dimensions—work-life
balance, occupational stress, and job nature—alongside resilience and engagement.
Simple and multiple regression analyses were applied to test the proposed
relationships. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between QWL
and teacher engagement, with resilience emerging as a strong mediator. Collectively,
QWL and resilience explained 74.2% of the variance in teacher engagement. Among
QWL dimensions, job nature and work-life balance were strong positive predictors,
whereas occupational stress showed a negative impact. These results underscore the
importance of enhancing teachers’ QWL by improving job design, reducing stress,
ensuring balanced workloads, and developing resilience-building programmes. The
study contributes to the limited body of knowledge on teacher engagement in rural
Sri Lanka and offers valuable insights for policymakers, school administrators, and
HR professionals seeking to strengthen teacher motivation, satisfaction, and
retention.
