University lecturers’ adaptability: examining links with perceived autonomy support, organisational commitment, and psychological wellbeing

ABSTRACT

In this study, we examined associations between university lecturers’ perceived autonomy support (PAS), adaptability, organisational commitment, and psychological wellbeing. A sample of university lecturers (N = 102) from a single ex-polytechnic higher education institution in the United Kingdom completed validated scales for each construct in the spring term. Inspired by prior work in pre-tertiary education with schoolteachers, a conceptual model of predicted relations was developed and tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings showed that PAS was positively associated with lecturers’ adaptability, organisational commitment, and psychological wellbeing; however, adaptability was unable to influence these outcomes independently of its association with PAS. The findings extend prior work with schoolteachers suggesting that, while adaptability is of importance, its influence may be more salient at pre-tertiary level – where there is typically heightened regulation and lower autonomy – and less salient when autonomy options are wider, as is the case in higher education.

KEYWORDS:

• Adaptability
• autonomy support
• commitment
• wellbeing
• university lecturers
• job demands-resources model

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the participating higher education institution (university) for supporting the data collection and sharing some of its own data with us. We also gratefully acknowledge the support of the lecturing staff who took part in this research.

Disclosure statement

We have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

Data availablity statement

Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is not available.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

A. J. Holliman

Andrew J. Holliman, Ph.D., is Senior Teaching Fellow at UCL Institute of Education. His research interests include the psychology of education, teaching and learning in higher education, and the development of children’s literacy.

A. Revill-Keen

A. Revill-Keen, MSc., is Interventions Facilitator at Her Majesty's Prison Onley. Her research interests include the psychology of education, rehabilitation, and predictors of wellbeing in academic and organisational contexts.

D. Waldeck

Daniel Waldeck, Ph.D., is a Lecturer in Psychology at Coventry University. His research interests include emotion regulation strategies in coping with social stressors (e.g., ostracism), and teaching and learning in higher education.