How Purpose in Life Protects Chinese Rural School Teachers from Burnout and Contributes to Their Wellness

Based on the framework of Job Demands-Resources model, this study quantitatively tests the multiple influential paths from job stress and work meaningfulness to organizational outcomes and wellness among schoolteachers in rural areas in Mainland China. The important roles that meaning-related personal resources played in this framework are also revealed.;This study, comprising of four sub-studies, is based on a convenient sample of 723 schoolteachers. Study 1 adapts and revises all instruments that used in the following studies, confirming related concepts and hypothesized structures. All instruments are well-adapted, obtaining acceptable psychometric properties. Study 2 delineates the predicament that schoolteachers faced and the level of wellness they experienced, as well as the characteristics of their life and work meanings. Although there are some significant differences among various sub-groups, the effect sizes derived from the demographic variables are very tiny. Study 3 builds a full structural equation model which confirms the exhaustion and motivation paths within the framework of Job Demands-Resources model. Besides, the motivational and direct predicting functions of personal resources are revealed. Both personal resources and work meaningfulness could offset the negative effects resulting from job stress on exhaustion path. Study 4 further investigates the moderating effect of personal resources, which could buffer the job stress and protect personal health.;All the influential paths and mechanisms are explained by the Meaning Making model and Conservation of Resource theory. Several possible ways are proposed for enriching teachers' personal meanings and building up their work meaningfulness. They might be helpful for teachers to get rid of predicament and to move toward wellness.;Common method bias, cross-sectional sampling, and lack of a control group of normal teachers limit this study. In future follow-up studies, some quantitative methods could be used to investigate more possible influential pathways. Meanwhile, the mechanisms should be tested based on more teacher samples, such as urban teachers. Besides, some empirical evidences are needed for interventions and implementations.