Work dilemmas and job satisfaction of banzhurens (class teachers) in Chinese primary school—a case study

Introduction Chinese primary school banzhurens (class teachers) undertake extensive responsibilities and express reluctance to continue in the role. This study provides a context-sensitive account of how banzhurens describe their everyday work dilemmas and how these experiences shape job satisfaction. Methods This qualitative case study drew on semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with seven primary-school banzhurens in G City, China. Findings and discussion Banzhurens bore an excessive workload and a wider job scope than subject specialist teachers. The overwhelming workload and job responsibilities caused burnout, which further harmed their job satisfaction. The participants did not describe self-efficacy as a positive contributor to their job satisfaction during their interviews. Other influences on banzhurens ’ job satisfaction that were recognized by the participants were stress, excessive non-teaching-related tasks, and insufficient reward, while student progress offered a primary sense of satisfaction in their work. Based on the findings, some potential solutions and strategies are proposed to enhance banzhurens ’ job satisfaction, professional development and wellbeing.