Supportive infrastructure and teacher resilience: the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and the moderating role of workplace relationships

Teacher resilience has garnered increasing attention in educational research, particularly within systems that face frequent institutional changes and professional uncertainty. Supportive infrastructure, intrinsic motivation, and workplace relationships are key factors influencing teachers’ ability to adapt and maintain engagement. This study examines how perceived institutional support contributes to resilience among pre-university teachers, investigating the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and the moderating role of workplace relationships. A cross-sectional, quantitative design was employed, using a validated online questionnaire completed by 8,752 pre-university teachers in Romania. The instrument measured supportive infrastructure, intrinsic motivation, workplace relationships, and resilience. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed model’s direct, indirect, and moderated mediation effects. Supportive infrastructure (SI) had a significant positive effect on both intrinsic motivation (IM) (β = 0.283, p < .001) and resilience (β = 0.186, p < .001). Intrinsic motivation directly predicted resilience (RE) (β = 0.466, p < .001) and partially mediated the relationship between infrastructure and resilience (indirect effect β = 0.132, p < .001). Workplace relationships (WR) moderated the link between supportive infrastructure and intrinsic motivation, such that strong WR slightly reduced the dependence of IM on SI, acting as a buffer. These findings suggest that SI should be adjusted to WR levels: strong workplace relationships may reduce the need for formal support, while weaker ones require stronger institutional support. The findings highlight the importance of organizational clarity and consistent institutional practices in promoting teacher motivation and resilience. Intrinsic motivation emerged as a critical psychological mechanism translating external support into personal adaptability. Moreover, the interaction between social and organizational resources suggests that strategies to support teacher well-being should be adapted to each school’s relational context, balancing formal support with peer collaboration and trust-building opportunities.