The influence of psychosocial climate on psychosocial safety behavior: A study among secondary school teachers

Research on secondary teachers' psychosocial safety behavior is currently still limited. The current study anticipates that the concepts are similar to those of physical safety because there are still few studies pertaining to psychosocial safety behavior. The goal of the current study is to gain a better understanding of secondary teachers' psychosocial safety behaviors in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya. A conceptual model was developed in order to understand how these four main constructs: psychosocial safety climate, psychosocial safety knowledge, and psychosocial safety motivation is related in explaining psychosocial safety behaviour (psychosocial safety compliance and psychosocial safety participation). A total of 400 sets of questionnaires were distributed to daily secondary teachers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya. The study managed to collect 330 questionnaires via Google Form and used for data analysis (n = 330), representing an 82.5% response rate. Data were analysed using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 27.0 programme. The results of regression analysis in this study have indicated that there is a positive relationship between the psychosocial safety climate, psychosocial safety knowledge, and psychosocial safety behavior (psychosocial safety compliance and psychosocial safety participation). The relationship between psychosocial safety motivation and psychosocial safety compliance is positively significant. However, psychosocial safety motivation and psychosocial safety participation were not significant, according to the findings in this present study. This study succeeded in identifying the factors that contribute to psychosocial safety behavior among secondary teachers so that interventions can be developed to reduce psychological strain among secondary teachers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya. This study has also contributed to the non-Western context and enriched the existing literature, serving as a guide for other researchers who are interested in psychosocial safety behavior issues and providing references and guidelines. Practically, the study pointed out that strengthening the psychosocial safety climate, psychosocial safety knowledge, and psychosocial safety motivation within an organisation may influence secondary teachers' psychosocial safety behavior. The results of this study will also be helpful to MOE, senior management at the school, the division that handles teacher training such as IPGM, BPG, and IAB, facilitate policy makers, and stakeholders regarding psychosocial safety behavior by increasing teachers' compliance and participation in school-based psychosocial safety.