Abstract

• As work engagement is a desirable work experience that leads to positive consequences, educational organizations need to search for effective ways to teacher educators’ work engagement. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of psychological capital on the relationship between work environment and work engagement of teacher educators in Myanmar. Data of 423 teacher educators were collected from two universities of education and eight education degree colleges by using a cluster sampling technique. The design of this study was cross sectional. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used in this study. The Work Environment Scale, Psychological Capital Questionnaire and Work Engagement Scale were used to evaluate the teacher educators’ work environment, psychological capital and work engagement. The correlational analysis showed that job resources were positively related to psychological capital and work engagement whereas job demands were negatively related to psychological capital and work engagement. Furthermore, psychological capital was positively related to work engagement. In addition, the mediation analysis indicated that the psychological capital was fully mediated the relationship between resources and opportunities and work engagement. But it was partially mediated the relationship between organizational support and work engagement, the relationship between financial support and work engagement as well as the relationship between work load and work engagement. Therefore, the psychological capital had a mediating effect on the relationship between work environment and work engagement in this study. Moreover, the results of qualitative study found that work environment, workplace relationship, respect and recognition, passion for the job, availability of resources for the job, training, pay and remuneration were important factors that impact on the teacher educators’ work engagement.