Abstract
The problem of teacher job satisfaction is crucial, as dissatisfaction can negatively impact teachers' retention, commitment, and the overall quality of education. The study objectives were to examine how school leadership support and collegial relationships are influenced by job satisfaction and to investigate the mediating role of job stress in these relationships. The research is based on the Two-Factor Theory of Herzberg and the Social Exchange Theory, which describe the beneficial impact of a favorable organizational and interpersonal environment on satisfaction among employees. A survey design was employed, and non-probability convenience sampling was used to select 201 teachers from 32 Catholic private schools, who were provided with a structured, self-administered questionnaire to collect data. The statistical analysis conducted using SPSS indicated that school leadership support is a significant predictor of job satisfaction (β = .723, R² = .523, p < .001). Additionally, collegial relationships were also found to be a significant predictor of job satisfaction (β = .574, R² = .330, p < .001). Despite the negative impact of school leadership support on job stress, job stress did not serve as a significant mediator between the support variables and job satisfaction. The findings suggest that direct social and organizational support have a more substantial influence on teacher satisfaction than indirect stress-reduction mechanisms. The results mean that supportive leadership practices of school administrators, group peer cultures, and sustainable workload management strategies should be strengthened to keep teachers satisfied. The findings suggest that enhancing supportive leadership practices among school administrators, fostering positive group peer cultures, and implementing sustainable workload management strategies are essential for maintaining teacher satisfaction.