Generativity and Psychological Well-Being in Primary and Secondary Teachers: A Systematic Review

Eduardo Sandoval-Obando (), Cristián Barros-Osorio, Luis Castellanos-Alvarenga, Marco Villalta Paucar and Alejandro Vega-Muñoz
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Eduardo Sandoval-Obando: Escuela de Psicología, Instituto Iberoamericano de Desarrollo Sostenible (IIDS), Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Temuco 4800916, Chile
Cristián Barros-Osorio: Magister en Neurociencias, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 7500912, Chile
Luis Castellanos-Alvarenga: Escuela de Psicología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Comunicaciones, Universidad Santo Tomás, Temuco 4801076, Chile
Marco Villalta Paucar: Escuela de Psicología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago 9170022, Chile
Alejandro Vega-Muñoz: Facultad de Ciencias Empresariales, Universidad Arturo Prat, Santiago 8340232, Chile

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-20

Abstract: Background: Teaching represents a highly demanding profession in emotional, social and cognitive terms, demanding a genuine interest in contributing to the development of future generations. Precisely for this reason, generativity, understood as the genuine interest in contributing to the care and development of future generations, and psychological well-being, defined as the integration of autonomy, life purpose and positive relationships, are key variables to understand the integral development of teachers. However, the relationship between both constructions in primary and secondary school teachers emerges as an emerging theme that is scarcely researched in the local context. Method: Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, this exploratory review used WOS, Scopus, ERIC, Scielo, and PsycNet databases to analyze the available literature on the interplay between generativity and psychological well-being in primary or secondary school teachers exploring its manifestations and the contextual factors (rural/urban) that shape this dynamic. We included 11 studies published up to 2025. Results: The studies analyzed show that generativity strengthens the sense of life and teacher commitment, while psychological well-being would modulate resilience to stress and pedagogical effectiveness. However, the literature presents conceptual and methodological heterogeneity. The theoretical gaps and methodological limitations of the findings are discussed, highlighting the importance of moving towards integrative frameworks that strengthen the mental health of teachers in the digital society. Conclusion: Generativity and psychological well-being are deeply interconnected in teaching practice yet remain under-theorized in educational research. This review highlights the need for integrative frameworks that support teachers’ mental health and professional identity, especially in diverse and evolving educational contexts.

Keywords: generativity; psychological well-being; pedagogy; primary education; secondary education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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