Personality Traits and Flow Proneness as Predictors of Work Engagement Among People from Education Sector

Abstract

This study explores the Big Five personality traits—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism—alongside flow proneness and job engagement among teachers. Addressing a gap in existing literature, which often examines these factors in isolation or pairs, the study integrates the Job Demands- Resources (JD-R) model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007), flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990), and trait theory (McCrae & Costa, 1999) to analyze how personality traits predict flow proneness and work engagement. These factors are crucial for enhancing teaching quality and professional outcomes. Evidence suggests that neuroticism may negatively impact both flow and engagement (Rhodes & Smith, 2005; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004), while conscientiousness and extraversion may enhance engagement (Langelaan et al., 2006; Judge et al., 2002), and openness and conscientiousness may foster flow experiences (Eisenberger et al., 2005). The study aims to inform targeted interventions to boost teacher satisfaction, reduce burnout, and improve educational outcomes by offering a comprehensive model for promoting teacher effectiveness and well-being.