The antecedents and outcomes of teachers' autonomy satisfaction: A meta-analytic investigation

According to the self-determination theory, autonomy is a fundamental psychosocial need of individuals, and its fulfilment can lead to positive teacher outcomes, including increased motivation, well-being, and instructional effectiveness. Recent research has indicated that factors such as job demands, job resources, and personal resources are associated with teachers' autonomy satisfaction. This review aims to adopt a meta-analytic approach to exploring the relationships between teachers' job and personal characteristics (job demands, job resources, and personal resources), autonomy satisfaction, and teacher outcomes (work motivation, occupational well-being, and instructional effectiveness) using the random-effects model. A total of 82 studies were analyzed in this review. The results demonstrated that lower job demands, higher job resources, and greater personal resources are linked to increased autonomy satisfaction among teachers, subsequently enhancing their work motivation, occupational well-being, and instructional effectiveness. Moreover, the study also revealed that factors, including theoretical frameworks and publication types, can significantly influence the relationships between teachers' autonomy satisfaction and its antecedents and outcomes. Copyright © 2026 The Author(s).