School climate as a mediator between job satisfaction and career sustainability among native language teachers in rural Türkiye

This study investigates the relationships among job satisfaction, school climate, and career sustainability among native language teachers working in rural regions of Türkiye, with a particular focus on the mediating role of school climate. Designed within a correlational research framework, the study aims to address a gap in the literature regarding factors influencing teachers' long-term professional continuity in rural educational settings. Data were collected from 313 teachers using the Career Sustainability Scale, the Job Satisfaction Short Index, and the School Climate Scale, and analyzed through structural equation modeling. The validity and reliability of the measurement instruments were confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis. Findings indicate a strong and significant positive association between job satisfaction and career sustainability, underscoring the central role of job satisfaction in supporting teachers' long-term engagement in rural contexts. Job satisfaction was also positively related to perceptions of school climate. However, no significant relationship emerged between school climate and career sustainability. Mediation analysis further revealed that school climate does not significantly mediate the link between job satisfaction and career sustainability. Overall, the results suggest that teachers' career sustainability in rural settings is shaped predominantly by job satisfaction, individual efficacy perceptions, and structural conditions rather than by school climate.