Introduction

Pre-service teachers frequently face a multitude of stressors, which can lead to high attrition rates at the beginning of their careers1. The psychological well-being of these teachers is crucial for acquiring knowledge and mastering various teaching skills. Research has indicated that fluctuations in well-being are associated with teachers’ teaching quality, job satisfaction, as well as the well-being and learning outcomes of their students2. Therefore, investigating the well-being of pre-service teachers is of paramount importance. The concept of well-being can be approached from two philosophical perspectives: hedonic and eudaimonic well-being3. Eudaimonic well-being often focus on Psychological well-being. Psychological Well-being emphasizes the realization of an individual’ s potential and the pursuit of the meaning of life, rather than a simple experience of happiness, and it is based on self-awareness, the realization of career ideals, and the balance of internal and external needs4. Psychological well-being serves as a vital resource for teachers in rapidly evolving school environments, and is often assessed using Diener’ s scale of flourishing, which encompasses elements such as purpose, supportive relationships, engagement, contributions to others, competence, optimism, feeling respected, and being a good person5. Within the occupational context, social support and emotional intelligence can function as resources, assisting individuals in managing work-related stress, bolstering professional identity, and improving overall well-being. Consequently, exploring the mechanisms and influencing factors of psychological well-being is essential for deepening our understanding of how to enhance the mental health of pre-service teachers. This study was conducted from the perspective of the conservation of resources theory. Its objective was to investigate the factors that influence the well-being of pre-service teachers, with the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of their psychological well - being.

The conservation of resources (COR) theory

The Conservation of Resources Theory posits that individuals tend to strive to acquire, preserve, and protect resources that are important to them in order to cope with stress and maintain mental health6. COR theory categorizes social support as contextual resources. Given that COR theory posits that resources tend to accumulate, pre-service teachers who acquire more support from teachers are more likely to win more support from peers. The expansion of resource pools can be beneficial for helping pre-service teachers to enhance psychological well-being. This theory emphasizes the importance of the accumulation and management of resources for an individual’s well-being.

Pre-service teachers are in the early stages of their teaching careers and face many challenges and uncertainties. Social support provides them with emotional and material assistance, which helps to alleviate stress and anxiety, thereby enhancing the psychological well-being of pre-service teachers7. Base on COR theory, professional identity will mediate the relationship between social support and psychological well-being. When they feel recognized by society and others, they are more likely to be firm in their belief in choosing the teaching profession8. Additionally, professional identity will increase the psychological well-being of pre-service teachers. When they feel their value and significance in the teaching profession, they are more likely to enjoy the teaching process and thus achieve higher psychological well-being9,10.

Relationship between social support and psychological well-being

To develop effective strategies for enhancing the psychological well-being of pre-service teachers, researchers have sought out theories that elucidate the underlying mechanisms of well-being formation. Social support refers to the assistance provided to an individual by those around them to cope with stress11. For pre-service teachers, the sources of social support can encompass the material and emotional support that individuals receive from family, friends, teachers, communities, and associated social groups12. Numerous studies have demonstrated a significant positive correlation between social support and well-being13,14. The main effect theory of social support underscores the significance of social relationships as its foundation, highlighting how role relationships and social identities, like professional identity, contribute to maintaining well-being by providing meaning, purpose, and existential security. Fulfilling social roles enhances individuals’ sense of belonging and team membership, which is crucial for emotional and overall well-being15. Pre-service teachers perceive support from others, which aids in evaluating the significance of their experiences and fosters positive feelings towards those experiences, thereby enhancing their psychological well-being. Furthermore, social integration and interaction provide individuals with additional opportunities and help maintain a positive emotional state, ultimately elevating their level of psychological well-being13.

The mediating role of professional identity

Teachers’ professional identity denotes the teacher’s image of self and sense of belonging to the teaching profession group16. As pre-service teachers keep going along the path of teacher education and participate in teacher community practice, their professional identity is continuously developing17. During the development process, pre-service teachers will face problems and challenges such as the mismatch between university training and school contexts, the pressure from social and cultural norms, and emotional and psychological stress18,19. When facing these challenges, the support from friends, classmates, teachers and others is particularly important. Pre-service teachers construct their “professional identity” through the experiences and guidance of significant others20. It is closely intertwined with social support and psychological well-being. Professional identity constitutes a crucial aspect of pre-service teacher training, indicating that teachers consciously recognize and embrace their profession, willingly adopting the corresponding professional roles and fulfilling societal expectations21. Recent findings corroborate the notion that there are significant associations between social support and the level of teachers’ professional identity. The material and emotional support received from mentors, classmates, and friends can bolster individuals’ sense of identity, fostering a more positive outlook towards their profession22.

According to Social Identity Theory, a positive organizational or group identity correlates with individuals’ perceptions, emotions, and mental health, possessing emotional value and providing guidance23. Well-being, as an aspect of mental health, can be correlated with one’s professional identity. Individuals with a strong sense of professional identity tend to feel proud of their career and achieve growth and self-realization through it, thereby improving their psychological well-being24. Furthermore, researchers have found that an individual’s professional identity significantly predicts their psychological well-being25.

The moderating role of emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence represents a form of social intelligence that encompasses the capacity to monitor one’s own emotions as well as those of others, discern distinct emotions, and utilize this information to direct one’s thoughts and actions26. Emotional intelligence is an important ability that individuals need to possess. In the presence of risk factors, emotional intelligence serves as a protective factor, bolstering one’s resilience27. Prior research has demonstrated that emotional intelligence can modulate the relationship between organizational factors and developmental outcomes28. According to the theory of emotional intelligence, individuals with higher emotional intelligence possess a broader range of emotional regulation strategies compared to those with lower emotional intelligence. They exhibit greater flexibility in utilizing these strategies and are more inclined to select adaptive approaches29. Consequently, individuals with high emotional intelligence excel in managing interpersonal relationships, enabling them to benefit from social support as an external resource and enhancing their problem-solving abilities. Specifically, for pre-service teachers with higher emotional intelligence, the link between social support and professional identity is strengthened. To our knowledge, no research has yet examined whether social support interacts with emotional intelligence to predict professional identity. Pre-service teachers with high emotional intelligence possess effective emotion regulation abilities, which can boost their professional identity. Therefore, emotional intelligence may moderate the relationship between social support and professional identity.

The present study

In summary, existing research has discussed the relationships between social support, professional identity, emotional intelligence, and psychological well-being. However, it lacks an in-depth systematic analysis of the intrinsic relationships and interactions among the four variables. This study aims to use pre-service teachers as subjects, social support as an independent variable, psychological well-being as a dependent variable, professional identity as a mediator variable and emotional intelligence as a moderator variable to explore the relationship between social support and psychological well-being, the mediating role of professional identity, as well as the moderating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between the two. It is expected that further clarification of the mechanism for the development of psychological well-being among pre-service teachers will provide ideas for the intervention of their psychological well-being. Based on this, a moderated mediation model has been developed (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
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Theoretical model for this study.

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Hypothesis 1

Social support significantly positively predicts psychological well-being.

Hypothesis 2

Professional identity significantly mediates the relationship between social support and psychological well-being.

Hypothesis 3

Emotional intelligence significantly moderates the relationship between social support and professional identity.

Methods

Participants

The procedures for the study and data collection were approved by the Ethics Committee for Scientific Research at the Shaanxi Normal University (number: HR 2020-11-020), and the study was conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling from Shaanxi Normal University, a prestigious institution for teacher education in mainland China. A total of 462 pre-service teachers volunteered to participate in the study. Five questionnaires were excluded due to short response times and patterned responses, rendering them invalid, which resulted in the collection of 457 valid questionnaires, representing an effective rate of 98.92%. The participants’ ages ranged from 17 to 27 years (Mage = 20.55, SDage = 1.47). Among them, 311 (68.10%) were female, and 146 (31.90%) were male. Freshmen accounted for 10.94%, sophomores accounted for 16.84%, juniors accounted for 38.51%, seniors accounted for 33.70%. Regarding the study programs of different grades, for lower-grade students (freshmen and sophomores), the focus is on general education, professional foundation courses (such as pedagogy and psychology), and preliminary teacher education knowledge. For upper-grade students (juniors and seniors), they will study professional courses in depth, increase practical components such as educational observations, internships, and seminars. Additionally, 33.90% of the participants were only children, whereas 66.10% had siblings. The survey was carried out voluntarily. Participants had the right to withdraw from the study at any juncture. All participants completed an online questionnaire after providing their informed consent for this study.

Social support

Social Support was assessed using a 22-item instrument derived from the Perceived Social Support Scale30. To be more suitable for students, the terms “leaders and colleagues” in the original scale were modified to “teachers and classmates” for this study. Sample items include: “I am confident that, if necessary, I can discuss problems with my teachers (item 8).” Respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Previous research has shown that this scale demonstrates good reliability and validity among Chinese populations31,32. In the current study, the Cronbach’s α coefficient for professional identity was 0.98.

Professional identity

The Teachers’ Professional Identity Scale33 was utilized to measure Professional Identity, comprising 15 items (see Supplementary Materials1). Sample items include: “In my opinion, what teachers do is very interesting (item 6).” Responses were collected on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Previous studies have demonstrated that this scale possesses good reliability and validity, making it suitable for widespread use in assessing the professional identity of teachers8. In the current study, the Cronbach’s α coefficient for professional identity was 0.94.

Emotional intelligence

The Emotional Intelligence Scale by Wong and Law34 was used to assess emotional intelligence. The scale comprises 16 items, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 5 (“strongly agree”). Example items include: “I have a good understanding of my own emotions (item 3).” This scale has demonstrated good psychometric properties among Chinese populations. In the current study, the Cronbach’s α coefficient for the scale was 0.94.

Psychological well-being

The Flourishing Scale, developed by Diener et al.5, was utilized to evaluate psychological well-being in this study. The scale consists of 8 items, with each item rated on a 7-point Likert scale, where 1 represents “Strongly disagree” and 7 represents “Strongly agree”. Sample items include: “My life has purpose and meaning (item 1).” Prior research has established that this scale demonstrates good reliability and validity among Chinese populations35. In the current study, the Cronbach’s α coefficient for the scale was 0.97.

Data analysis

In the present study, the SPSS PROCESS Macro Models 4 and 7 were utilized to test the research hypotheses36. Pearson’s correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationships between variables, while multicollinearity analysis was employed to assess the appropriateness of the proposed model. Furthermore, the mediating role of social support in the relationship between social support and psychological well-being was examined using PROCESS macro model 4 in SPSS. A bootstrapping test was then performed to determine the significance of the indirect effects obtained from the mediation analysis, with the resulting 95% confidence intervals (CIs) being examined. Additionally, this study investigated how emotional intelligence relates to social support and psychological well-being. Lastly, PROCESS Macro 7 was used to examine whether emotional intelligence had an impact on the mediating effects of professional identity on the relationship between social support and psychological well-being.

Results

Correlation analysis

The relationships between the variables are presented in Table 1. The pre-service teachers’ social support was positively related to their professional identity (r = 0.55, p < 0.001), emotional intelligence (r = 0.69, p < 0.001) and psychological well-being (r = 0.70, p < 0.001). Additionally, emotional intelligence was positively related to professional identity (r = 0.50, p < 0.001). Professional identity was positively related to psychological well-being (r = 0.54, p < 0.001).

Table 1 Descriptive statistics and correlations matrix among variables (N = 457).
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Multicollinearity diagnostics

The correlation analysis results indicated a high correlation (greater than 0.7) between social support and psychological well-being, as well as between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being, which suggests potential multicollinearity. To investigate this, we conducted additional diagnostics by calculating the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) and tolerance (Tol) values for these variables. According to diagnostic criteria37, a VIF value greater than 10 (or more strictly, greater than 5) and a tolerance value less than 0.1 (or more strictly, less than 0.2) indicate severe multicollinearity. In this study, for all predictor variables, namely social support, professional identity, and emotional intelligence, the Tol values were greater than 0.2, and the VIF values were less than 5, suggesting that there is no severe multicollinearity issue in this data.

The mediating effect of professional identity

We examined the role of professional identity in mediating the relationship between social support and well-being. The findings indicate that social support was associated with a beneficial effect on psychological well-being (β = 0.61, t = 17.36, p < 0. 001). It had a beneficial effect on professional identity(β = 0.54, t = 13.59, p < 0. 001). Professional identity as associated with a beneficial effect on psychological well-being(β = 0.25, t = 7.07, p < 0. 001). Furthermore, there is statistically significant evidence for the mediation role of professional identity in the association between social support and psychological well-being(β = 0.61, t = 13.59, p < 0. 001).

The moderating effect of emotional intelligence

The moderating roles of social support and psychological well-being were tested by performing a moderated mediation analysis in a whole model (see Table 2). The moderating effect of emotional intelligence was tested by entering social support, emotional intelligence, and their interaction terms (i.e., social support×emotional intelligence) into the model. The interaction between social support and emotional intelligence was significantly associated with professional identity(β = 0.07, t = 2.03, p < 0. 05). That is, the relationship between social support and professional identity is significantly moderated by emotional intelligence.

To further explore the interaction effect of variables, the extent of the moderating impact of emotional intelligence was examined through a simple slope analysis. Participants were categorized into two groups based on their levels of emotional intelligence: high and low. The high emotional intelligence group was defined as those scoring one standard deviation above the mean, while the low emotional intelligence group was defined as those scoring one standard deviation below the mean. Subsequently, the direct effects of social support on professional identity, along with their 95% bootstrap confidence intervals, were tested at both levels. The results confirmed the validity of the moderating model, which suggested that social support significantly correlated with professional identity, and this relationship was moderated by emotional intelligence. Specifically, the results indicated that social support significantly predicted professional identity (Bsimple = 0.31, t = 4.96, p < 0.001), and this positive prediction was strengthened in the high emotional intelligence group (Bsimple = 0.44, t = 7.13, p < 0.001; Bsimple from 0.31 to 0.44). To illustrate the moderating effect of emotional intelligence, this study plotted the relationship between social support and psychological well-being at both low (1 SD below the mean) and high levels of emotional intelligence (1 SD above the mean) (see Fig. 2).

Table 2 The moderated mediation model of the effect of social support on psychological Well-being.
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Fig. 2
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The moderating roles of emotional intelligence in the relation between social support and psychological well-being.

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Discussion

The aim of this study was to investigate the mediation effect of professional identity on the social support-psychological well-being association, and the mechanisms through which emotional intelligence modulates the connection between pre-service teachers’ social support and professional identity. The findings provide a novel and crucial insight into the association between social support and psychological well-being among pre-service teachers, as well as the variations in the mediation process between individuals with high and low emotional intelligence. This research is essential for the advancement of pre-service teachers’ mental health and for grasping the fundamental mechanisms involved.

The impact of social support on psychological well-being

This study found that social support can directly and positively predict psychological well-being, that is, the higher the social support, the higher the level of psychological well-being of pre-service teachers, supporting hypothesis H1. The results are consistent with the conclusion that social support, as an effective social resource, is protective against individual mental health38. The main effect model of social support believes that emotional support and instrumental support in social support can help individuals perceive their importance to others and improve their sense of control over possible difficulties in the future, thus enhancing psychological well-being. Specifically, when pre-service teachers feel the care and help from the collective, the support and guidance of schools and educational administrative departments, and the respect of their family members and peers, pre-service teachers will feel the sense of meaning and value brought by the profession39, and then improve their psychological well-being.

The mediating role of professional identity

The results indicate that professional identity serves as a mediator between social support and psychological well-being among pre-service teachers, supporting hypothesis H2. Higher levels of social support are associated with increased professional identity, which in turn enhances psychological well-being. This finding aligns with previous research. For instance, Zhao and Zhang40 discovered that support from teachers, peers, and friends is crucial for the professional identity of normal university students, as this support enables pre-service teachers to gradually identify with their teaching major. Similarly, Huang, et al.41 found that providing sufficient support for pre-service teachers, including initial guidance, learning about school culture, and exchanging classroom plans with experienced teachers, can alleviate the challenges faced by students transitioning to teachers and thereby strengthen their identity with the teaching profession. Furthermore, the study found that professional identity is a significant factor affecting psychological well-being. Individuals with high professional identity love their teaching profession and have a positive attitude towards their job42. When individuals genuinely embrace their career, they work with enthusiasm and positivity, viewing their work as a source of accomplishment and well-being. It is not merely a means of earning a living but also a spiritual support and fulfillment24. Pre-service teachers’ professional identity enhances their psychological resources to cope with stressful situations, improves their emotional state, and ultimately boosts their psychological well-being. By verifying the mediating mechanism of professional identity, the specific path of converting social resources into psychological resources in the COR theory is further supported43.

The moderating role of emotional intelligence

The findings revealed that emotional intelligence plays a moderating role in the relationship between social support and professional identity, supporting hypothesis H3. Emotional intelligence is an individual characteristic that can either strengthen or weaken the impact of social support on professional identity among pre-service teachers. The results suggest that emotional intelligence can effectively bolster the connection between social support and professional identity. Specifically, compared to pre-service teachers with low emotional intelligence, those with high emotional intelligence experience a more significant enhancement in their professional identity level due to social support. Individuals with high emotional intelligence are more adept at acquiring valuable information from others, are more motivated, and possess superior interpersonal relationships. According to the social resource theory, strong interpersonal relationships aid individuals in better addressing career-related challenges44. Pre-service teachers can better know and understand both themselves and others, realize the aspects that are lacking or need to be improved personally, turn negative emotions into positive ones and managing them45. This enables pre-service teachers to adopt a more positive attitude towards their career, thereby enhancing their sense of professional identity. The present study extends previous results by revealing that the moderating effects of emotional intelligence between social support and professional identity.

Limitations and future directions

Several limitations of this study must be acknowledged. Firstly, while cross-sectional studies grounded in theory are valuable, they inherently possess limitations. Therefore, it is recommended that future studies explore the qualitative and quantitative longitudinal relationships among social support, professional identity, and psychological well-being. Secondly, the exclusive reliance on self-report measures has certain limitations, such as potential social desirability and recall bias. To enhance the reliability of the findings, future research should utilize multiple informants, including the self, parents, teachers, and classmates, for data collection. Thirdly, there may be other factors that correlate with pre-service teachers’ professional identity and psychological well-being. For example, social emotional competence (such as emotional regulation strategies, cultural background differences (cross-cultural variations in the perception of social support, individual traits (such as self-efficacy, emotional stability). Future research should integrate a longitudinal tracking design and conduct cross-cultural comparisons to reveal the complexity and specificity of the mechanism of action.

Practical implications

Despite these limitations, the results of the current study have several significant implications. Firstly, adequate social support can facilitate pre-service teachers’ adaptation to their role as teachers, enabling them to quickly accept school culture and accumulate experience through communication with experienced teachers. Moreover, the attention and recognition from school leaders, along with their positive evaluations and emotional identification, can help pre-service teachers build self-confidence, fulfill their spiritual needs, and thereby enhance their identification with the teaching profession46. Therefore, normal universities and teacher training schools should collaborate to fully leverage the effectiveness of the social support system, providing a platform for group sharing and professional exchange resources. By maximizing the effectiveness of pre-service teachers’ existing resources, they can work together to ensure the success of pre-service and in-service education, ultimately enhancing their professional identity. Secondly, since professional identity serves as a crucial bridge between social support and psychological well-being, intervention programs should prioritize enhancing pre-service teachers’ professional identity. Thirdly, given that emotional intelligence moderates the mediating process, programs designed to improve emotional intelligence could further bolster the effectiveness of these interventions. Studies have demonstrated that emotional intelligence can be developed through subsequent training47. Hence, normal universities can integrate emotional intelligence cultivation into the career development planning for pre-service teachers, regularly assessing their emotional intelligence development and changes through psychological evaluations. Corresponding improvements and targeted content and strategy training can then be implemented to enhance their emotional management abilities.

Conclusions

Based on the Conservation of Resources theory, this study developed and tested a moderated mediation model which posits professional identity as a mediator between social support and psychological well-being and emotional intelligence as a moderator of this mediation. The study demonstrated that social support directly affected psychological well-being, while professional identity effectively mediated the relationship between social support and psychological well-being. It deepens the specific path of the COR theory about the transformation of social resources into psychological resources. Moreover, emotional intelligence was found to be a moderator to the mediation effect played by social support and professional identity. Therefore, construct a three-dimensional intervention framework of “social support + professional identity + emotional intelligence” by strengthening the social support system, cultivating professional identity, and enhancing emotional intelligence to improve the psychological well-being of pre-service teachers.