How job satisfaction affects teachers' occupational burnout: The mediating role of psychological capital moderated by physical exercise

Previous studies have established a significant negative correlation between job satisfaction and occupational burnout. However, limited research has specifically focused on K-12 teachers, leaving the underlying mechanisms of this relationship insufficiently explored. To address this gap, we proposed a moderated mediation model and collected questionnaire data from 496 Chinese K-12 teachers. This study aimed to examine whether psychological capital mediates the relationship between job satisfaction and occupational burnout, and if physical exercise moderates this mediating pathway. Results indicated that higher job satisfaction was significantly associated with lower occupational burnout and higher psychological capital. Psychological capital itself demonstrated a negative correlation with occupational burnout. Crucially, psychological capital acted as a partial mediator in the job satisfaction-occupational burnout relationship. Moreover, physical exercise significantly moderated the indirect relationship between job satisfaction and burnout through psychological capital. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.