The interconnections between STEM teacher educators' self-efficacy, job satisfaction and work engagement in Ghana

Recently, the Colleges of Education (CoEs) in Ghana were transitioned from Diploma-awarding institutions to Degree-awarding institutions. Concomitantly, STEM education is a priority for the government. In these colleges, teacher educators serve as both mentors and teachers to student teachers also known as mentees, who aspire to teach at the basic schools in Ghana. Nonetheless, not so much attention has been paid to these mentors particularly STEM teacher educators. Employing a qualitative research approach through multiple case studies, the research seeks to explore complex interplay among STEM teacher educators' self-efficacy, job satisfaction and work engagement of STEM teacher educators in the CoEs, particularly in light of the institutional transition and STEM prioritization. The findings reveal a strong interconnectedness among self-efficacy, job satisfaction and work engagement, with Ghanaian socio-cultural values and school contextual factors playing a significant. This study provides valuable insights that can inform the development of targeted interventions to support STEM teacher educators, thereby enhancing the overall quality of STEM education in Ghana.