The relationship between work environment and teacher professional development within a South African context: a correlational design

Introduction Teachers play a vital role in improving student achievement in mathematics. This study examines the relationship between work environment factors and the professional development (PD) needs of Grade 5 mathematics teachers in South Africa. Methods Secondary data from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2023 and a correlational design is used within the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework. Significance was determined using a dual criterion of p -values ( p 0.05) and effect sizes ( d 0.1) to ensure both statistical and practical relevance. Results The correlations revealed that teachers in better-resourced schools were more likely to have participated in past PD on integrating technology and addressing individual student needs, while those in resource-constrained schools expressed a stronger need for future PD in mathematics pedagogy and instruction. Teachers in schools facing greater discipline issues had engaged in PD on student support and were more likely to seek future PD in mathematics content, pedagogy, problem-solving, and assessment—suggesting that contextual challenges shape PD priorities. Teachers working in safe, well-managed, and academically focused schools reported greater job satisfaction and higher participation in past PD. Multilevel models confirmed these patterns and provided additional insights: job satisfaction consistently predicted future PD needs in mathematics content, curriculum, and problem-solving, while resource shortages significantly predicted demand for technology integration PD. Discussion These findings underscore the importance of tailored, context-sensitive PD initiatives. Aligning PD with teachers’ expressed needs can help address systemic challenges and foster sustainable improvements in mathematics teaching and learning.