Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between work-life balance and job satisfaction of elementary teachers. Two hundred eighteen (218) respondents from four districts of M’lang, Cotabato are being participated during the conduct of this study for the S.Y. 2024-2025. This study employed a descriptive-correlation research design using simple random sampling. The data gathering tool contained an adopted questionnaire coming from the different authors. Mean and multiple regression were used in statistical tool. Based on the findings of the study, very high, high and low extent were identified for work-life balance while very high and high extent for job satisfaction. The results also revealed that there is a positive and negative significant relationship between work-life balance and job satisfaction of the teachers. Moreover, indicator of work-life balance significantly influences by the job satisfaction. Strategies for improvement of work-life balance and job satisfaction of elementary teachers were suggested and further implementation and evaluation for this policy formulation were crafted as a means of significant basis for professional development.

1. Introduction

To be successful and productive at work and content in their personal lives, employees should create a healthy work-life balance. Numerous studies have shown that those who are able to maintain a healthy work-life balance are happier in their everyday lives and have far higher success levels in their careers ^{1, 2, 3}.

An article published by Oracion ⁴ discusses the struggles of teachers that affects their instruction as well as their work-life balance. Teachers in the Philippines face a plenty of issues that impact their ability to provide quality education. Inadequate compensation, heavy workloads, limited resources, classroom management difficulties, and a lack of professional development opportunities contribute to their struggles. For this reason, teachers tend to take for granted their personal life due to a bulk of work that sometimes brought at home just to do what is to be done. This results to stress and even burn out that leads to imbalance work-life.

Employees' job satisfaction can be said to be closely associated with an organization being successful and achieving objectives, because employees join an organization to meet their personal needs and serve the purpose of the organization- as long as they perform their own purposes ⁵. Individuals tend to satisfy a portion of their needs showing a hierarchical structure in the workplace. Satisfaction of an individual’s needs will motivate them to work. In addition, motivated employees would more readily adopt the entity's objectives, thus increasing productivity and resulting in positive contributions to employees' job satisfaction ⁶.

The related literature and studies mentioned above were evidence that identifies how work-life balance affects the job satisfaction of an employee. Thus, it has no general studies that the determinants of work-life balance affect the indicators of job satisfaction in this study. Hence, the researcher intends to conduct a study that fills the gap between work-life balance and job satisfaction of teachers in the four districts of M’lang, Cotabato.

By investigating the difficulties and solutions related to work-life balance and job satisfaction among school teachers, this study aims to determine the critical variables that affect school teachers’ ability to maintain a work-life balance and job satisfaction and to look into the methods they use to deal with these issues. This study attempts to give a deeper knowledge of school teachers’ experiences with work-life balance and job satisfaction by employing a correlational approach. The knowledge acquired from this research was crucial in creating focused actions and support networks that improves school teachers’ well-being and productivity.

2. Theoretical Framework

This study was anchored on Hertzberg’s Two Factor Theory cited by Robbins ⁷. Hertzberg’s Two Factor Theory determined what people actually want from their jobs. It was developed by a psychologist Frederick Hertzberg in 1959, who theorized that job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction act independently of each other. The characteristics related to job satisfaction included advancement, recognition, the work itself, achievement, growth and responsibilities. Hertzberg referred to these characteristics as „motivators‟. The characteristics related to dissatisfaction, which included working conditions, supervision, interpersonal relationships, company policy and administration were referred to as “hygiene” factors. It states that there are certain factors in the workplace that cause job satisfaction, while a separate set of factors cause dissatisfaction.

The theory perceives workplace as independent variable and job satisfaction as dependent variable. These variables concur with the study variables which are technical environment, physical environment and organizational environment and job satisfaction. According to Schermerhorn ⁸, Herzberg’s two-factor theory is an important frame of reference for managers who want to gain an understanding of job satisfaction and related job performance issues. Schermerhorn asserts that Herzberg’s two-factor theory is a useful reminder that there are two important aspects of all jobs: what people do in terms of job tasks (job content), and the work setting in which they do it (job context).

Schermerhorn suggests that managers should attempt to always eliminate poor hygiene sources of job dissatisfaction in the workplace and ensure building satisfier factors into job content to maximize opportunities for job satisfaction. Therefore, this theory is relevant and significant to this study in that it recognizes that employees have two categories of needs that operate in them and that both should be addressed. This theory therefore can guide a researcher in establishing determinants of work environment that affects employee satisfaction at Central District of M’lang, Cotabato.

3. Methodology

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the research methodology, including a detailed examination of the research design, the study's locale, and the selection of research respondents. It also outlines the sampling procedure employed, the research instruments used, and the data collection processes. Furthermore, this chapter presents the statistical analysis techniques applied and discusses the ethical considerations considered throughout the study.

The researcher used a descriptive-correlational research design for this study to determine the level of agreement in work-life balance; and, level of job satisfaction of elementary teachers; also, the relationship of the variables of the work-life balance on job satisfaction of teachers as well as the influence of work-life balance on job satisfaction of teachers will be determined. The respondents filled out the indicators presented in the questionnaire. Arikunto ⁹ explains that the purpose of descriptive-correlational research is to collect some information about the field's trend.

The study was conducted in different public elementary schools of four (4) districts in Municipality of M’lang from January to May of the school year 2025. The districts were located at the province of Cotabato which includes South, North, Central and East District.

The respondents of the study were 218 public elementary school teachers from four (4) districts of M’lang, Cotabato. The respondents may have different perceptions regarding work-life balance and job satisfaction.

Simple random sampling was applied in the selection of the survey respondents using Slovin’s formula. Randomly selected public elementary school teachers will participate in this study. They were given a survey questionnaire to answer.

The researcher utilized simple random sampling to select the respondents of the study.

The research instrument for work-life balance was adopted from Fisher and Bulger ¹⁰ on their study entitled “Beyond Work and Family: A Measure of Work/Non-work Interference and Enhancement”. The researchers modified the questions in all indicators based on the recommendations and suggestions of the research panels. It was modified to fit into the context of this study.

4. Result and Discussions

The work-life balance of the teachers included work interference with personal life (WIPL), personal life interference with work (PLIW), work enhancement of personal life (WEPL) and personal life enhancement of work (PLEW) which presented in the succeeding tables.

This data shows experiences of the teachers on work interference with personal life such as coming home from work too tired; often neglect their personal needs; struggling to find time for hobbies or leisure activities; their job makes it difficult to maintain the kind of personal life they would like; their work schedule often disrupts their personal routines or plans. This suggest that work interference with personal life (WIPL) has a substantial negative influence on workers' general health, job satisfaction, and well-being.

Beauregard ¹¹ elaborated that the work interference with personal life has been linked to various job-related aspects such as: the number of working hours, the expectations from an employee, and the level of autonomy among the employees over their work schedules. Higher number of hours spent at work place contributes to employees‟ work interference with personal life as it reduces the amount of time available for fulfilling home-related responsibilities (e.g., elder care giving).

Teachers reported that their job gives them energy to pursue activities outside of work; devote more time to work if it weren’t for everything they have going on in their personal lives; their personal life drains them of the energy they need to do their job; struggling to maintain their work performance when dealing with personal issues; miss work or arrive late due to personal obligations; too tired to be effective at work because of things they have going on in their personal life and their work suffers because of everything going on in their personal lives. This suggests that when work and personal life collide, it can have detrimental effects on the individual as well as the workplace. Workplace disruptions can result in lower output, worse job satisfaction, and even higher employee turnover. On the other hand, work can also get in the way of personal life, which can cause stress, anxiety, and even health issues.

Chen, Powell, and Greenhaus, ¹² noted that personal life interference with work as any personal life event, obligation, or stressor that disrupts an individual’s ability to fulfill work-related tasks. They differentiate between episodic interference (temporary disruptions) and chronic interference (ongoing disruptions), arguing that both types can have significant implications for employee well-being and organizational effectiveness.

This data shows that teachers experienced work-life balance as work challenges help them build resilience that they apply in their personal life; their job allows them to develop friendships and social connections outside of work; skills they learn at work help them manage personal responsibilities more effectively; their job gives them energy to pursue activities outside of work that are important to them; their job provides them with the financial stability to enjoy their personal lives; because of their job, they are in a better mood at home; work experiences give them a sense of accomplishment that enhances their personal lives and the things they do at work help them deal with personal and practical issues at home. This suggests that improving one's personal life at work has a beneficial effect on one's life outside of work due to work experiences and skills.

McNall, Nicklin, and Masuda, ¹² emphasized that WEPL as the spillover of positive work experiences into personal life domains, leading to improved personal relationships, better health, and enhanced personal development. They argued that when individuals find meaning and purpose in their work, it fosters a sense of accomplishment and self-worth that carries over into their personal lives. Their study suggested that employees who experience high levels of job satisfaction and engagement are more likely to report benefits in their personal lives, such as increased happiness and stronger family bonds.

As reflected in the data, the hobbies or leisure activities of the teachers help them stay motivated and productive at work; personal achievements or milestones boost their confidence in the workplace; their personal life helps them relax and feel ready for the next day’s work; they are in a better mood at work because of everything they have going for them in their personal lives; their personal lives gives them the energy to do their job; the support they receive from their family or friends improves their work performance; their personal relationships give them a positive outlook that benefits their work and their personal lives provides them with the energy they need to perform well at work. It can be gleaned from the findings that work can significantly enhance personal life by providing resources, a sense of purpose, and opportunities for growth, leading to increased well-being and satisfaction. A positive work environment can contribute to better mental and physical health, higher job satisfaction, and a stronger work-life balance.

Wayne, Casper, Matthews, and Allen, ¹⁴ expressed that enhancement of personal life in work is beneficial spillover from personal life into work, where positive experiences and support in one’s personal life contribute to enhanced job performance and satisfaction. The emotional support from family, engaging in meaningful hobbies, and the development of personal skills can translate into improved workplace outcomes. They emphasized that organizations that recognize and support the personal lives of their employees are more likely to see the benefits of PLEW.

Job satisfaction was investigated through indicators such as compensation and benefits, leadership of administrator and social relationship. The detailed data are presented in tables.

It is reported that teachers are satisfied because the incentives are just and fair; the salary is given on time; enjoying benefits like attendance policies, medical benefits, etc.; the salary increase is based on the positive they had. In addition, they are satisfied because they were given the opportunity for professional training, the salary is competitive and fringe benefits (GSIS/Pag-ibig) is proportionate.

This suggests that pay and benefits are essential for teachers since they have a direct impact on their ability to deliver high-quality instruction by affecting their financial stability, work happiness, and general well-being. While comprehensive benefits, such as healthcare and retirement plans, offer a sense of security and stability and help teachers manage their budgets, fair salary also increases job satisfaction and lowers turnover.

Wibowo ¹⁵ claims that compensation there is an incentive system that connects compensation to performance. Furthermore, compensation is essential for teachers as this is their source of income and one of the things that can improve teacher’s welfare, and have an impact on teacher’s performance. Given the context, it implies that an academic institution provides remuneration in the form of compensation to the teachers ¹⁵.

As shown in the results, teachers are satisfied with their supervisors in the sense of modelling equal treatment to all of them; inspires in doing the task; monitors and evaluates tasks for support; shows evidence of trust and confidence; shows how to do what one fails to comprehend; recognizes the work well done and informs teachers on salary and promotion. It suggests that effective school administration is crucial for teachers because it influences the learning environment, teacher motivation, and ultimately, student outcomes. A supportive and visionary administrator fosters a positive school culture, empowers teachers, and provides resources and opportunities for professional growth. This leadership can lead to increased teacher job satisfaction, improved teaching practices, and enhanced student achievement.

Nanjundeswaras and Swamy ¹⁷ expressed that a good leader will exert influence in a way that will help the group achieve its objectives. Teachers are directly impacted by the leadership styles of school administrators in terms of their ability to carry out the tasks or responsibilities that have been assigned to them. Bogler ¹⁸ added that successful school administrators are believed to have a particular leadership style when carrying out their administrative duties. Alagheband ¹⁹ also stated that school administrators' leadership styles have an impact on both the efficacy and effectiveness of teaching professionals.

The importance of social relationship on teachers’ job satisfaction was highlighted on this findings. It is dicussed that teachers were satisfied because they can easily fit with the people in the workplace; their co-teachers are warm, friendly, and cooperative; they take time to be with co-teachers, friends, and family; their colleagues are available whenever support and assistance are needed; there is a sense of fun in thier schools and family and their co-teachers trust each other. This suggest that building strong social interactions has a substantial impact on teachers' productivity, professional satisfaction, and performance.

Cotiangco ²⁰ quoted that social support may take the form of emotional support (expressing concern, indicating trust, boosting esteem, listening), appraisal support (providing feedback affirmation), or information support (giving advice, making suggestions, providing direction). For many employees, the opportunity for social interaction with friendly co-workers and supervisors adds greatly to the dimension of job satisfaction.

The result reveals that work-life balance in terms of work interference with personal life shows a significant relationship on job satisfaction with regards to compensation and benefits.It suggests that as work interference with personal increases, the teachers tend to express greater job satisfaction, especially with their compensation and benefits received.

This is aligned on Johari, Tan, and Zulkarnain's ²¹ research that work-life conflict fuels cynicism and emotional tiredness, which in turn causes burnout. Teachers may have to take more time off as a result, which could have an impact on their compensation and benefits. This can also lead to decreased productivity and absenteeism. Additionally, teachers may think about quitting their jobs if they experience burnout and a bad work-life balance. The compensation and benefits of other instructors who are left to take up the slack may be impacted by the lack of continuity this causes in schools.

The finding also indicated that work-life balance in terms of work interference with personal life reveals a significant relationship between job satisfaction with regards to leadership of administrator. This shows that work-life balance can have a big impact on an administrator's ability to lead in a number of areas, especially when it comes to teacher retention and well-being. Interference between work and life tend to increase the teacher’s satisfaction with the leadership of their school heads and the way they direct the teachers in which it increases teachers' job satisfaction and morale.

As explained by Basak and Akter ²², WIPL can result in a reduction in general well-being, heightened stress and burnout, and lower job satisfaction. This may affect an administrator's capacity to guide and oversee a group of people. An administrator may find it challenging to be emotionally and physically present for their team members when they are dealing with a work-life imbalance. Communication problems, a decline in trust, and a less encouraging leadership atmosphere can result from this.

It also reveals that work-life balance in terms of work interference with personal life has a significant relationship between job satisfaction in regards to social relationship. This suggests that when work interference with personal life (WIPL) is increased, it also increases the social interactions of the teachers toward their colleagues and friends.

This is supported by Kabir, Gunu, and Gwadabe ²³ that WIPL can result in elevated levels of stress, worry, and burnout, which can affect a person's emotional state and social abilities. People may become less patient, more withdrawn, or more irritated as a result, which can make it more difficult to sustain healthy and encouraging social relationships. Additionally, WIPL has been connected to a decline in general well-being and life satisfaction. Because people may be less able to provide emotional support, take part in social activities, or have meaningful conversations, these detrimental consequences on well-being might make it more difficult to sustain strong social interactions.

It also reveals that work-life balance in terms of work interference with personal life has a significant relationship between job satisfaction in regards to social relationship. This suggests that when work interference with personal life (WIPL) is increased, it also increases the social interactions of the teachers toward their colleagues and friends.

This is supported by Kabir, Gunu, and Gwadabe ²³ that WIPL can result in elevated levels of stress, worry, and burnout, which can affect a person's emotional state and social abilities. People may become less patient, more withdrawn, or more irritated as a result, which can make it more difficult to sustain healthy and encouraging social relationships. Additionally, WIPL has been connected to a decline in general well-being and life satisfaction. Because people may be less able to provide emotional support, take part in social activities, or have meaningful conversations, these detrimental consequences on well-being might make it more difficult to sustain strong social interactions.

Work-life balance in terms of work enhancement of personal life has a significant negative relationship between job satisfaction of teachers in terms compensation and benefits. The data reveal a weak negative correlation between compensation/benefits and job satisfaction. This indicates that as perceived compensation and benefits increase, job satisfaction may slightly decrease — a counterintuitive finding. Further, Leadership of Administrator indicates a moderate negative correlation between administrator leadership and job satisfaction. It further explains that poor leadership or micromanagement may be perceived more in environments with more visible or involved administrators, which could lower job satisfaction. Social Relationship Work Enhancement of Personal Life ( -0.052, (p-value) 0.448) suggests a very weak negative correlation that is not statistically significant (p > 0.05), meaning there is likely no real association between social relationships at work and job satisfaction in this dataset.

The result reveals that work-life balance in terms of personal life enhancement of work shows a significant negative relationship on job satisfaction with regards to compensation and benefits and leadership of administrator. This suggests that as dissatisfaction with compensation and benefits increases, job satisfaction decreases, or possibly that better compensation does not necessarily guarantee increased satisfaction—there may be complexity in perception or expectations. In addiiton, poor leadership from administrators could be linked to lower job satisfaction. On Ryan and Kossek's ²⁴ research, teachers' compensation and benefits are positively correlated with improving their personal lives at work. Better work-life balance, achieved through advantages like flexible scheduling or less work, leads to greater job satisfaction, which in turn improves teacher retention and may result in improved teaching performance overall. Inadequate work-life balance, on the other hand, may result in increased turnover rates, burnout, and a decline in job satisfaction.

The study found out that work-life balance significantly influenced teachers’ job satisfaction in compensation and benefits accounting 16.5% of the variation. This is because, teachers who feel their work encroaches on their personal life may rationalize it as acceptable or justified due to satisfactory compensation/benefits, or they may be in roles with better pay but higher demands. The result affirms to the statement of Lonska et al. ²⁵ that work-life balance, or work-interference with personal life, can have an indirect impact on teachers' compensation and benefits by influencing their performance, job happiness, and eventually the length of their careers. Although it has no direct bearing on pay or benefits, it can result in lower productivity, more burnout, and possibly more turnover, all of which could have an influence on the district's or school's total benefits package.

Work-life balance significanlty impacts job satisfaction in leadership of administrator accounting for 25% of variation. Personal life interference with work are the most significant indicator of work-life balance among teachers, indicating personal life issues and problems negatively impact the satisfaction of the teachers towards thier work.

On the other hand, Work Enhancement of Personal Life reveals significant negative predictor that implies that when work enhances personal life, there is a decrease in job satisfaction related to leadership. This counterintuitive finding might suggest that administrators are seen as less impactful when work-life balance is naturally good.

Likewise, personal Life Enhancement of Work has marginal significant influence suggests a weak but positive relationship. When personal life enriches work, perceptions of administrator leadership tend to be more favorable. The finding conforms to the statement of Wang, Li and Zhang ²⁶ that an administrator's effectiveness as a leader may suffer if their personal life gets in the way of their work. Burnout, a decline in job satisfaction, and trouble monitoring and assisting instructors are all consequences of this meddling. The consequent diminished ability to lead effectively can have an impact on teachers' wellbeing, performance, and morale, which will ultimately impede the school community's success as a whole.

The study found that work-life balance significantly influences teachers’ job satisfaction in social relationship. 12% of social relationship variation was accounted for by work-life balance, with 88% attributed to other variables. Personal life enhancement has a strong, positive, and statistically significant influence on job satisfaction in terms of social relationships. This implies that when teachers and administrators perceive that their personal life enhances their work performance, their satisfaction with social relationships at work tends to increase. This could mean that fulfilling personal experiences (e.g., family support, hobbies, or a healthy lifestyle) enrich their interactions and relationships within the workplace.

This agrees from Taludker’s ²⁷ study that interfering with teachers' personal life because of their jobs can have a detrimental effect on their social ties by making them more stressed and emotionally exhausted, which may result in less social interaction and involvement. This may show itself as a decline in performance, dedication to the work, and interaction with coworkers and students. According to studies, work-family conflict can have a detrimental effect on life and job satisfaction, which may result in a decrease in social interaction and feelings of loneliness.

The study found that work-life balance significantly influences teachers’ job satisfaction in social relationship. Work-life balance accounted 12% of variation in social relationship with work enhancement of personal life being the most significant factors. It can be explained that when Work may dominate personal life, even if work enhances personal life in material ways (e.g., income, structure), it might reduce time or emotional energy for social connections, leading to lower satisfaction in that area. This affirms to the statement of Abioro and Faderera ²⁸ that enhancements that promote work-life balance have a good impact on teachers' social interactions by lowering stress, enhancing general wellbeing, and encouraging a more optimistic outlook on their personal and professional lives. infectiously optimistic attitude.

The study found that work-life balance significantly impact teachers’ job satisfaction in social relationship. 12% of variation in social relationship was attributed to work-life balance, with 88% attributed to other variables. Personal life enhancement of work was found to be an indicator of teachers’ social relationsip, indicating that a more positive and involved attitude to relationships can result from instructors experiencing more job satisfaction and reduced burnout when they have a better work-life balance. Teachers who have a healthy work-life balance are able to devote more time to their personal interactions with friends and family, which strengthens and improves their relationships. This conforms to the statement of Lee and Kim ²⁹ that teachers' social ties can be greatly improved by improving their personal life through their profession. Teachers who have a better work-life balance are more satisfied with their jobs and experience less burnout, which frees up more time and energy to focus on fostering their social networks.

Based on the results of the study, the following policy formulation were drawn:

Realign School Works and Flexible Scheduling across Different School Personnel. One of the elements thought to have a detrimental impact on teachers' work-life balance is work demands. According to reports, teachers' main concerns regarding work-life imbalance are related to the duties and responsibilities they have at school. Teachers who have heavy workloads may find it challenging to handle their obligations, which may affect their capacity to provide high-quality education and pursue professional growth. In order to free up teachers to concentrate on their teaching duties, the National Government, and the Department of Education in particular, will prioritize vital projects that streamline administrative procedures and assign work to other school staff. Teachers will be able to better manage their time based on their instructional demands and priorities.

Clarify Inter-School Responsibilities and Other Auxiliary Functions. In fields including curriculum creation, teacher professional development, and student programs, schools can collaborate to exchange resources, knowledge, and best practices. Teachers can positively impact the community and cultivate a sense of civic responsibility through collaborative projects. Schools may work together on specific projects like special education support, technological projects, or arts programs. By doing this, exchanging resources and knowledge can improve instruction and learning, which will benefit students' academic performance.

Normalize Collaboration and Supportive Environment. Open communication and fruitful conversations require a culture of trust. Members of the team must be able to express their concerns and share ideas without worrying about criticism or mockery. School leaders should create a culture that values constructive criticism and feedback, and that promotes open communication and shared accountability. Promote candid dialogue, helpful criticism, and shared accountability. In addition to setting an example of these behaviors, leaders should foster an environment where team members feel free to voice their opinions and make recommendations. By implementing these policies and strategies, schools can create a work environment that supports teacher well-being, enhances job satisfaction, and ultimately contributes to a more effective and fulfilling education system.

References