The Relationship Between Secondary School Teachers’ Self-Esteem and Global Citizenship Education Competency: The Mediating Effects of Self-Efficacy and Intercultural Sensitivity

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the structural relationships among secondary school teachers’ self-esteem, self-efficacy, intercultural sensitivity, and global citizenship education competency, and to investigate the individual and sequential mediating effects of self-efficacy and intercultural sensitivity on the relationship between self-esteem and global citizenship education competency. Data were collected from 494 middle and high school teachers across South Korea and analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping with SPSS 30.0 and AMOS 30.0. The results showed that all hypothesized paths among self-esteem, self-efficacy, intercultural sensitivity, and global citizenship education competency were statistically significant. Self-efficacy and intercultural sensitivity each significantly mediated the relationship between self-esteem and global citizenship education competency. In addition, the sequential mediating effect of self-efficacy and intercultural sensitivity was statistically significant. These findings indicate that secondary school teachers’ global citizenship education competency is structurally related to self-esteem, self-efficacy, and intercultural sensitivity, and that self-efficacy and intercultural sensitivity play important mediating roles. The findings highlight the importance of considering teachers’ positive self-evaluation, beliefs in their own capabilities, and open and receptive attitudes toward cultural differences. Therefore, efforts to support secondary school teachers’ global citizenship education competency should address psychological factors such as self-efficacy and intercultural sensitivity, alongside knowledge and teaching methods related to global citizenship education.