The roles of general mattering, anti-mattering, psychological distress, and mistake tolerance in teacher turnover: insights from Chinese educational settings

Wenjing Yao, Aihua Cheng, Cuihong Cao, I-Hua Chen (), Xiaoxia Wei () and Olga Malas
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Wenjing Yao: Faculty Xi’an PeiHua University
Aihua Cheng: International College, Krirk University
Cuihong Cao: Faculty of Education, Qufu Normal University
I-Hua Chen: Chinese Academy of Education Big Data, Faculty of Education, Qufu Normal University
Xiaoxia Wei: Mahidol University International College, Mahidol University
Olga Malas: Department of Psychology, Sociology and Social Work. Faculty of Education, Psychology and Social Work. University of Lleida

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Despite increasing recognition of general mattering (GM) and anti-mattering (AM) as crucial psychological constructs in workplace well-being, gaps exist in understanding their mechanisms in educational settings, and longitudinal evidence examining these relationships is also lacking. This two-wave longitudinal study explores how GM and AM influence psychological distress (PD) and turnover intentions (TI) among Chinese teachers, while examining the moderating role of mistake tolerance (MT) on these relationships. Data were collected at two time points: February and March 2024 (Time 1), followed by a second survey after a four-month interval (Time 2), with participants including 812 school teachers in China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with bootstrapping techniques was used to analyze the mediation pathways from GM and AM to TI via PD. Results reveal that PD mediates the relationship between GM, AM, and TI, with higher GM linked to lower PD and TI, whereas AM was associated with increased PD and TI; additionally, MT moderated the GM-PD relationship such that in low-MT settings, lower GM increased PD, but this effect was absent in high-MT settings. This study confirms GM and AM as distinct constructs, with AM emerging as a unique psychological experience rather than merely the absence of GM, and introducing MT as a moderator highlights managerial support’s role in reducing turnover, while its longitudinal design offers insights for improving teacher well-being.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05901-w

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