The impact of social, emotional competence on rural teachers’ intention to remain employed in China: a sequential mediation of teaching efficacy and job satisfaction

IntroductionRural schools in China have long faced teacher shortages, high turnover, and workforce instability, which threaten instructional continuity and educational equity between urban and rural areas. Although policy initiatives have expanded the rural teacher supply, recruitment alone does not ensure long-term retention. This study examined how social, emotional competence (SEC), as an important psychological resource for teachers, is associated with rural teachers’ intention to remain employed (IRE).MethodsSurvey data were collected from 861 rural teachers in China. A serial mediation model was used to examine whether teaching efficacy (TE) and job satisfaction (JS) mediated the relationship between SEC and IRE.ResultsSEC had a significant total effect on IRE, but its direct effect became non-significant after TE and JS were included in the model. JS significantly mediated the relationship between SEC and IRE, and the serial mediation pathway SEC → TE → JS → IRE was also significant. However, the independent mediating effect of TE was not significant.DiscussionThese findings indicate that SEC is associated with rural teachers’ retention intentions mainly through job satisfaction. Although TE alone does not directly translate SEC into stronger retention intentions, it functions as an upstream cognitive factor that supports retention indirectly by enhancing JS. The study clarifies an internal psychological pathway linking teachers’ individual resources, professional efficacy, affective experience, and retention intention. The findings suggest that efforts to retain rural teachers should not only improve external working conditions but also strengthen teachers’ SEC, professional efficacy, and job satisfaction, thereby promoting long-term commitment and workforce stability in rural schools.