The Mediating Role of Professional Meaning Perception in the Relationship Between Teachers’ Perceived Workload and Quiet Quitting Behaviors

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of teachers’ perceived workload on quiet quitting behavior and the mediating role of professional meaning in this relationship. The sample consists of 300 teachers working in the province of Kilis. Data were collected using the Workload Perception Scale, Quiet Quitting Scale, and Teachers' Professional Meaningfulness Scale, and analyzed through statistical methods. The findings indicate that teachers’ perceived workload is at a moderate level, professional meaning is high, and quiet quitting levels are low. Significant relationships were found among the variables, including a positive relationship between workload and quiet quitting, as well as negative relationships between workload and professional meaning and between professional meaning and quiet quitting. Independent samples t-test results revealed that quiet quitting levels differ significantly by gender and are higher among male teachers. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed that workload and quiet quitting vary significantly according to age, branch, and years of service. In particular, middle-aged teachers and preschool teachers reported higher workload perceptions, while younger teachers exhibited higher quiet quitting tendencies. Finally, professional meaning was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between workload and quiet quitting. The findings suggest that reducing teachers’ administrative workload and implementing branch-specific support policies, particularly for preschool teachers, may help decrease quiet quitting by strengthening professional meaning.