Career Adapt-Abilities and Job Embeddedness of Public Elementary School Teachers

This study examined the relationship between career adapt-abilities and job embeddedness among public elementary school teachers in Matina District, Division of Davao City. It used a quantitative, descriptive-correlational, non-experimental design with 125 full-time classroom teachers who met the study criteria during the 2025-2026 academic year. Data were gathered through adapted standardized questionnaires that measured career adapt-abilities in terms of concern, control, curiosity, and confidence and job embeddedness in terms of fit, links, and sacrifices. The instruments underwent expert validation and pilot reliability testing. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data at the 0.05 level of significance. Results showed a high overall level of career adapt-abilities (M = 4.19, SD = 0.85) and a high overall level of job embeddedness (M = 3.99, SD = 0.66). Career adapt-abilities had a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship with job embeddedness (r = 0.80, R2 = 0.64, p = 0.000). Regression analysis further showed that concern, control, curiosity, and confidence significantly predicted job embeddedness, with the model explaining 67% of its variance (R = 0.82, R2 = 0.67, F = 92.14, p = 0.000). Concern emerged as the strongest predictor. The findings indicate that teachers’ future orientation, agency, exploratory stance, and confidence are important psychosocial resources associated with stronger attachment to their schools and profession.