The Impact of Faculty Stressors on Work Engagement: Stress-Buffering Relationship of Social Supports among Vocational Colleges in China.

This research aims to explore the relationship between the stress factors due to the expansion of enrollment in vocational colleges in China and the work engagement of faculty. The growth of high enrollment in vocational colleges represents a significant measure the Chinese government took to alleviate education anxiety, solve the shortage of high-skilled talents, and promote employment stability. Since 2019, the government has actively promoted the implementation of the enrollment expansion policy. Over the past three years, the number of students enrolled in higher vocational colleges has surged from 3.68 million in 2018 to 5.53 million in 2021, marking a 50.27% increase (MOE, 2018; MOE, 2021). Therefore, the incongruity between faculty capacity, competency, and student needs has increased pressure on most vocational college teachers. The study will be conducted to gather data on the stressors experienced by faculty from enrollment expansion and the effect of social support on the stresswork engagement relationship. Additionally, the research will investigate the faculty's awareness of the enrollment rate and the challenges and strategies they perceive related to the expansion. The study will also examine the role of social support as a moderator in determining its impact on work engagement. The ultimate goal of the research is to gain a deeper understanding of the extent of stress caused by enrollment expansion and its effects on work engagement.