The parabolic path of teacher well-being and student learning achievement in Peru

Abstract We investigate the connection between teacher subjective well-being (TSWB) and the learning achievement of public-school students in Peru. Leveraging data from the National Teacher Survey and the Census Student Assessment, we identify that TSWB consists of three invariant dimensions: satisfaction with school relationships, living conditions, and working conditions. Our regression models suggest that the relationship between school-level TSWB and mathematics and reading scores follows an inverted U-shape, consistent with the presence of the “too-much-of-a-good-thing” effect. This suggests diminishing returns, with an optimal threshold beyond which further TSWB increases are associated with lower pupil scores.