The Living Experience of Female Teachers with High Job Satisfaction In Relation to Successfully Resolving Work-Family

The purpose of this study was to examine the life experiences of female teachers with high job satisfaction in relation to their successful resolution of work-family conflict. A qualitative approach with basic research purposes was used in this study. The study population consisted of employed female teachers with high job satisfaction in public and private schools in Tehran, Mahabad and Piranshahr (in 2020-2021), of which 10 individuals were selected through purposive sampling and snowballing methods. Sampling continued until data saturation. The Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (JSQ) was used to investigate the job satisfaction of female teachers. The instrument used to examine the successful resolution of work-family conflict was a semi-structured interview. Interview data were analyzed using Colizzi’s seven-step method. The results showed that “strong and dynamic professional identity,” “adaptability and adjustability,” “clear demarcation,” “negotiation skills,” “embeddedness and the ability to satisfy the husband,” “support and responsibility of the spouse,” “seeking and accepting support within/outside the family,” and “tranquility at work” were effective in helping professional women to be satisfied with their work and successfully resolve work-family conflict. The results indicate that perceptions of a strong and dynamic identity and psychological resilience are two important experiences of job-satisfied women in successfully resolving work-family conflict. In order to increase the job satisfaction of professional women, in-service trainings can be conducted to strengthen and promote their psychological resilience.