The impact of practicum job demands and resources on pre-service teachers’ occupational commitment and job intent

Around the world, there is a need to understand how to support pre-service teachers through their initial teacher education (ITE). The current study applied the Job Demands-Resources Theory to examine the associations among Australian pre-service teachers’ job demands and resources. The structural equation modelling found that perceived autonomy support, and relatedness with colleagues and students, were positively related to work outcomes of occupational commitment and job intent. Conversely, factors like disruptive student behaviour and time pressure were negatively associated with these outcomes. These findings suggest the relevance of providing support mechanisms for pre-service teachers to enhance their important ITE phase. • Job demands and resources pertinent to pre-service teachers were investigated by structural equation modelling. • Autonomy support and relatedness were positively associated with occupational commitment and job intent. • Time pressure was negatively associated with occupational commitment. • Disruptive student behaviour was negatively associated with job intent. • Pre-service teachers' perceived self-efficacy was not associated with occupational commitment and job intent.