Exploring the mediating role of teacher identity between professional learning community and teacher resilience: evidence from Eastern China

Promoting teachers’ long-term professional growth is a critical problem in teacher education. Professional learning communities have a long-term, positive impact on teacher development, while teacher resilience gives drive for long-term improvement. However, little research indicates how professional groups indirectly affect teacher resilience through their identity, which has consequences for long-term teacher development. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, a recent survey of 2815 primary and secondary school teachers in East China discovered that professional learning communities strongly predict the formation of teacher resilience. This study explores the relationship between professional learning community and teacher resilience by establishing a multi-mediating model, and confirms the mediating role of each dimension of teacher identity. Based on these results, facilitating sustainable professional development requires constructing strong professional learning communities, nurturing teacher identity, and enhancing positive emotions and resilience. Further research should explore how specific activities within communities and forms of teacher support develop resilience over time while accounting for contextual factors. Investigating mechanisms underlying the relationships between communities, identity, emotions, and sustained growth can inform policies and programs aiming to promote long-lasting teacher development.