Teacher well-being (TWB) has been extensively studied, and several reviews on TWB have been published over the years (e.g., Acton & Glasgow, 2015; Cumming, 2017; Granziera et al., 2021; Hascher & Waber, 2021). These reviews have either focused on TWB as a general construct encompassing all school-levels (e.g., Acton & Glasgow, 2015; Hascher & Waber, 2021) or delved into specific areas, such as early-childhood teachers (Cumming, 2017). Although previous reviews have significantly contributed to the understanding of TWB in general, they do not consider the unique characteristics related to teaching in higher education (HE) context. In academic and HE contexts, multiple current trends, such as increased work intensity, consumer-oriented practices, growing student numbers, ethical challenges, heightened pressures related to teaching and research, as well as diminishing resources and job security, have underscored the importance of well-being (Jabbar et al., 2018; Kinman & Johnson, 2019; Si, 2024). Furthermore, the reviews addressing higher education teacher well-being (HETWB) have tended to investigate academics or faculty members in general and focused on exploring negative outcomes such as stress and burnout (e.g., Sabagh et al., 2018; Salimzadeh et al., 2017).

While reviews on the negative aspects of well-being have provided important insights into HETWB, they overlook the diversity of approaches in well-being research, including its positive aspects (see also Hascher & Waber, 2021; Urbina-Garcia, 2020). As a result, there remains insufficient understanding of how well-being is conceptualised in contemporary HETWB research and which factors are considered central to its development in the HE context. To address these gaps, the aim of this integrative review is twofold. First, it seeks to enhance understanding of how HETWB is conceptualised in recent empirical studies. Second, it aims to identify job-related and personal characteristics that influence HETWB by applying the Job Demands–Resources (JD‑R; Bakker & Demerouti, 2017) theory as an organising framework.

The JD‑R theory provides a well-established framework for examining factors that influence occupational well-being and is therefore well suited to the aims of this review. According to the JD‑R model, job demands refer to aspects of work that require sustained physical or psychological effort and are associated with physiological and psychological costs. Job resources, in turn, support the achievement of work goals, reduce the impact of job demands, and promote learning and personal growth (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017). The model describes two complementary processes: a health impairment process, in which excessive demands and insufficient resources lead to strain, and a motivational process, in which job resources foster positive outcomes such as work engagement and well-being. Later extensions of the model also highlight the importance of personal resources, such as self-efficacy and optimism, that influence how employees cope with job demands and make the most of available resources (e.g., Xanthopoulou et al., 2007).

By applying the JD‑R framework, this review systematically organises the job-related and personal characteristics identified in previous HETWB research and illustrates how different types of demands and resources are linked to HETWB. By combining a conceptual analysis of well-being with an examination of its antecedents, the review contributes to a more comprehensive and structured understanding of HETWB. More specifically, the review addresses the following research questions:

(RQ1) How is HETWB conceptualised in empirical studies?

(RQ2) What job and personal characteristics influence HETWB? 

We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature by adopting an integrative approach, as outlined by Torraco (2005) and Whittemore and Knafl (2005). Integrative reviews are a type of research review that combines various sources of data, with the aim of providing a holistic understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. A systematic search of four databases (Education Collection, Scopus, EBSCOhost, PsycINFO) was conducted in December 2024, covering peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2000 and 2024. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 41 studies were selected for qualitative synthesis. The analysis of the 41 studies was conducted according to the principles of qualitative content analysis (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) and followed the guidelines for analysing data in integrative reviews (Torraco, 2005; Whittemore & Knafl, 2005). Atlas.ti software (version 25.0.1) was used to assist with the analysis. We started the data reduction phase by extracting and coding the included studies to simplify and organise the data. First, we summarised each study’s main characteristics (country, methods, participants, purpose) into one spreadsheet. Second, we inductively coded extracts where authors (1) conceptualised HETWB and (2) explored the antecedents of HETWB. These extracts were compared and examined for patterns and relationships, resulting in synthesised categories and a visualisation. In the analysis of HETWB antecedents, we used the JD-R model as a guiding coding scheme to categorise the antecedents of HETWB into main categories (job demands, job resources, and personal resources).

The findings indicate that empirical research on HETWB is a relatively recent and rapidly growing field, with all included studies (n = 41) published between 2018 and 2024. Most studies employed cross-sectional quantitative designs, while a smaller proportion used qualitative methods. Research was conducted across 17 countries, with a strong concentration in China. Analysis revealed substantial conceptual diversity in how HETWB is defined. Many studies noted the absence of a universally accepted definition of well-being and used the concept in broad or implicit ways. To address this conceptual ambiguity, the review organised existing conceptualisations into six research fields based on their shared theoretical conceptualisations and characteristics: workplace well-being, teacher well-being, subjective well-being, psychological well-being, human flourishing, and mental well-being. This categorisation offers an initial framework for clarifying theoretical assumptions in future research. When comparing the distribution of research across the research fields in our review and Hascher and Waber’s (2021) review on TWB, it stands out that TWB research more frequently employ general well-being concepts (e.g., subjective and psychological wellbeing) than HETWB studies. The review identified multiple job-related and personal factors influencing HETWB. Social relationships with colleagues and students emerged as particularly salient, functioning both as job resources when supportive and as job demands when conflictual. Organisational resources, such as collegial support and institutional culture, were frequently examined, while certain job demands (e.g. emotional demands) received comparatively limited attention. Personal resources, including psychological capital and emotional regulation strategies, were also highlighted as important influencing factors. Overall, the findings underscore the definitional heterogeneity of HETWB and the need for more precise conceptualisation. By applying the JD‑R model, this review provides a structured overview of influencing factors and highlights gaps in existing research. The results call for longitudinal and qualitative studies, and stronger integration of pedagogical perspectives in future research on HETWB.

Acton, R., & Glasgow, P. (2015). Teacher wellbeing in neoliberal contexts: A review of the literature. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(8), 99–114. Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job Demands–Resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 273–285. Cumming, T. (2017). Early childhood educators’ well-being: An updated review of the literature. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45, 583–593. Granziera, H., Collie, R., & Martin, A. (2021). Understanding teacher wellbeing through Job Demands-Resources theory. In C. F. Mansfield (Ed.), Cultivating teacher resilience (pp. 229–244). Springer. Hascher, T., & Waber, J. (2021). Teacher well-being: A systematic review of the research literature from the year 2000–2019. Educational Research Review, 34. Hsieh, H., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277–1288. Jabbar, A., Analoui, B., Kong, K., & Mirza, M. (2018). Consumerisation in UK higher education business schools: Higher fees, greater stress and debatable outcomes. Higher Education, 76(1), 85–100. Kinman, G., & Johnson, S. (2019). Introduction: Special section on well-being in academic employees. International Journal of Stress Management, 29(2), 159–161. Sabagh, Z., Hall, N. C., & Saroyan, A. (2018). Antecedents, correlates and consequences of faculty burnout. Educational Research, 60(2), 131–156. Salimzadeh, R., Saroyan, A., & Hall, N. C. (2017). Examining the factors impacting academics’ psychological well-being: A review of research. International Education Research, 5(1), 13–44. Si, J. (2024). Higher education teachers’ professional well-being in the rise of managerialism: Insights from China. Higher Education, 87(4), 1121–1138. Torraco, R. J. (2005). Writing integrative literature reviews: Guidelines and examples. Human Resource Development Review, 4(3), 356–367. Urbina-Garcia, A. (2020). What do we know about university academics’ mental health? A systematic literature review. Stress and Health, 36, 563–585. Whittemore, R., & Knafl, K. (2005). The integrative review: Updated methodology. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(5), 546–553. Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2007). The role of personal resources in the Job Demands-Resources model. International Journal of Stress Management, 14(2), 121–141.