Research Background and Purpose
Community colleges in Taiwan have experienced substantial growth since the establishment of the first institution in Taipei’s Wenshan District in 1998. Currently, 90 community colleges serve over 400,000 students nationwide, fostering a culture of lifelong learning and civic participation. These institutions serve a dual purpose: providing educational opportunities and strengthening community identity while addressing deficiencies in higher education regarding public engagement and critical thinking skills.
Community college teachers face unique challenges compared to their counterparts in formal education. They must accommodate adult learners with diverse backgrounds, integrate public concerns into their teaching, and often lack traditional teacher training. Many have developed expertise through practical experience rather than academic study, with some transitioning from student to teacher roles through mentorship. This distinctive professional development pathway creates a rich context for studying how teachers maintain positive psychological functioning amid challenges.
The primary purposes of this study were to: (1) explore the relationships among community college teachers’ savoring traits, creative transformation, and flourishing life, and (2) examine whether creative transformation moderates the relationship between savoring traits and flourishing life.
Literature Review
Savoring traits represent an individual’s capacity to attend to, appreciate, and enhance positive experiences through cognitive and behavioral strategies. These traits include dampening savoring (strategies that reduce positive emotional intensity), amplifying savoring (strategies that enhance positive emotions), and suffering savoring (a Chinese cultural concept emphasizing the value of experiencing both joy and sorrow).
Creative transformation refers to teachers’ ability to transform theoretical knowledge and personal experiences into educational practice in novel and valuable ways. For community college teachers, this process involves three levels: theoretical learning transformation (internalizing knowledge and values), practical application transformation (implementing knowledge in teaching practices), and teaching resilience transformation (adapting to challenges like enrollment pressures and student diversity).
Flourishing life extends beyond mere happiness to encompass overall life fulfillment. In Chinese cultural contexts, this concept includes five elements: mercifulness-positive emotions, playfulness-engagement, peacefulness-identify meaning, respectfulness-competent requirements, and cheerfulness-optimistic attitude.
Previous research suggests positive correlations between savoring and psychological well-being, and between creativity and life satisfaction, but few studies have examined how creative transformation might moderate the relationship between savoring traits and flourishing life, particularly among community college teachers.
Research Methods
The study employed a mixed survey method, collecting data through both paper and online questionnaires. Participants included 274 community college teachers primarily from northern Taiwan (including Keelung, New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan, and Hsinchu). The sample comprised 154 females (56.2%) and 120 males (43.8%), with an average age of 56.3 years and average teaching experience of 8.1 years.
Research instruments
1. Savoring Traits Scale (STS)
The Savoring Traits Scale (STS) was developed by Chen (2021) and uses a 6-point Likert scale to measure three factors: Dampening Savoring (4 items, e.g., “I often remind myself that nothing lasts forever”), Amplifying Savoring (5 items, e.g., “I seek opportunities to share positive experiences with others”), and Suffering Savoring (3 items, e.g., “I believe that experiencing some setbacks in life is not necessarily a bad thing”). Participants responded based on their personal situation using a six-point scale ranging from “1-strongly disagree” to “6-strongly agree,” with higher scores indicating better savoring traits. The Cronbach’s α reliability coefficients for these three factors were .83, .86, and .77 respectively, with a total scale reliability of .91. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit indices (χ² = 274.26, df = 51, CFI = .96, NFI = .95, RMSEA = .08), with standardized factor loadings ranging from .58 to .88, all reaching significant levels.
2. Creative Transformation Scale (CTS)
The Creative Transformation Scale (CTS) was developed with reference to Yang’s (2007) items and incorporating interview results from Chen et al. (2021) on community college teachers’ creative transformation. The scale uses a 5-point Likert format to measure three factors: Theoretical Learning Transformation (8 items, e.g., “I integrate theory and practice, adjusting teaching content according to community college local objectives” and “When designing courses, I simultaneously consider community needs, student interests, and innovative teaching activities”). Practical Application Transformation (5 items, e.g., “I actively participate in community college teacher empowerment activities, sharing personal teaching experiences and innovative practices” and “I regularly reflect on the teaching process, transforming community college teaching experiences into motivation for personal professional growth”). Teaching Resilience Transformation (9 items, e.g., “When facing student complaints or dissatisfaction, I maintain a professional attitude and seek constructive problem-solving solutions” and “When students express dissatisfaction with course arrangements, I calmly explain my professional considerations”). Participants rated each item from 1 to 5 points (very inconsistent to very consistent), with higher scores indicating better creative transformation. The Cronbach’s α reliability coefficients for these three factors were .83, .88, and .92 respectively, with a total scale reliability of .93. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit indices (χ² = 594.86, df = 206, CFI = .97, NFI = .95, RMSEA = .08), with standardized factor loadings ranging from .55 to .88, all reaching significant levels.
3. Flourishing Life Scale (FLS)
The Flourishing Life Scale (FLS) was developed by Chen and Yu (2018) and uses a 4-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The scale measures five factors: Mercifulness-Positive Emotions (4 items, e.g., “I feel very happy”). Playfulness-Engagement (4 items, e.g., “I am willing to invest my time and energy in my current work”). Peacefulness-Identity Meaning (5 items, e.g., “I strive to implement the direction and meaning of life”). Respectfulness-Competent Requirements (5 items, e.g., “I know how to use effective methods to successfully complete my current work”). Cheerfulness-Optimistic Attitude (5 items, e.g., “I treat encountered difficulties as life challenges and growth opportunities”). The Cronbach’s α reliability coefficients for these five factors were .86, .89, .92, .86, and .88 respectively, with a total scale reliability of .96. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit indices (χ² = 718.22, df = 225, CFI = .98, NFI = .96, RMSEA = .08), with second-order standardized factor loadings ranging from .78 to .91, all reaching significant levels.
Data analysis included correlation analysis to examine relationships among variables and hierarchical regression to assess the moderating effects of creative transformation.
Results
The findings revealed significant positive correlations among all three variables.
Dampening savoring showed a strong correlation with positive emotions (r = .68). Practical application transformation correlated with engagement (r = .77). Suffering savoring correlated with meaning identification (r = .71). Amplifying savoring correlated with optimistic attitude (r = .64).
More importantly, creative transformation demonstrated a significant moderating effect (β = -.11, p < .01) on the relationship between savoring traits and flourishing life. The interaction between savoring traits and creative transformation explained an additional 1% of variance in flourishing life beyond the main effects. The moderation analysis revealed that the positive relationship between savoring traits and flourishing life was stronger for teachers with high levels of creative transformation compared to those with low levels.
Among the three dimensions of creative transformation, teaching resilience showed the strongest moderating effect (β = -.15, p < .001), followed by theoretical learning (β = -.10, p < .05) and practical application (β = -.09, p < .05). These results indicate that the ability to adapt to teaching challenges particularly enhances the positive impact of savoring traits on flourishing life.
Discussion and Implications
This study contributes to understanding the distinctive characteristics of community college teachers and how they achieve psychological well-being. The findings suggest that:
1. Cultural context matters in savoring: The significant correlation between suffering savoring and meaning identification reflects Chinese cultural values that emphasize finding meaning through adversity. This contrasts with Western conceptualizations focused primarily on positive emotion enhancement.
2. Teaching resilience is crucial: The strong moderating effect of teaching resilience transformation highlights the importance of teachers’ ability to adapt to challenges, particularly in non-formal educational settings with diverse student populations.
3. Creative transformation enhances savoring benefits: When teachers can creatively transform their experiences and knowledge, they derive greater well-being benefits from their savoring abilities, creating a synergistic effect.
These findings have important implications for community college teacher development. Professional development programs should integrate both savoring cultivation and creative transformation training. Specifically, teachers should be encouraged to: develop diverse savoring strategies appropriate to Eastern cultural contexts. Cultivate reflective practices and emotional regulation skills. Actively participate in professional growth activities. Build supportive professional networks. Strengthen problem-solving abilities, especially regarding teaching resilience.
Limitations and Future Research
This study focused exclusively on community college teachers and may not generalize to other educational contexts. Future research should extend to other lifelong learning institutions (such as elder learning centers) to examine whether similar patterns exist. Additionally, more in-depth theoretical work is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the relationships among savoring traits, creative transformation, and flourishing life.
In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of cultivating both savoring traits and creative transformation abilities to enhance community college teachers’ flourishing life, with particular emphasis on developing teaching resilience to navigate the unique challenges of non-formal adult education.
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