External locus of control and elementary teachers’ subjective well-being: Self-efficacy as a mediator

In this study I explored the relationships among the locus of control, self-efficacy, and subjective well-being (SWB) of elementary school teachers in China, with a focus on the mediating effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between external locus of control and SWB. A survey was conducted with 305 elementary school teachers using the Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and SWB measurements. External locus of control was found to be negatively correlated with SWB, and self-efficacy was positively correlated with SWB. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that self-efficacy partially mediated the effect of external locus of control on SWB, with the indirect effect accounting for 36.34% of the total explained variance. Promoting a sense of control and self-efficacy may be effective in improving elementary school teachers’ SWB.