Introduction
Teachers with higher job satisfaction tend to be more engaged in the teaching and learning processes of their students, and this may be influenced by their self-efficacy beliefs. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of teacher self-efficacy in the causal relationship between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction.

Method
Following the Research Onion framework by Saunders et al (2009), this study adopts a positivist research philosophy, an inductive approach, an applied purpose, and a quantitative methodology with a descriptive-correlational design. The research employed a cross-sectional time horizon and collected data via standardized questionnaires administered in survey form. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for data analysis. The statistical population comprised 594 secondary school teachers working in public schools in District 3 of Mashhad during the 2023–2024 academic year. Using random cluster sampling, a sample of 228 teachers was selected. For data collection, the following standardized instruments were used: the Emotional Intelligence Scale by Schutte et al. (1998), the Short Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk Hoy (2001), and the Job Descriptive Index by Smith, Kendall, and Hulin (1969). Data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS 27 and AMOS 24 software. The validity of the constructs was assessed through factor loadings in measurement model criteria. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha, all of which were found to be within acceptable ranges. Regarding reliability, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were as follows: emotional regulation= 0/80, emotional expression and evaluation= 0/80, emotional application and utilization= 0/67; engaging learners= 0/79, teaching strategies= 0/79, classroom management= 0/82; salary and benefits= 0/64, job nature= 0/80, supervision= 0/87, colleagues= 0/60, and promotion and advancement= 0/80.

Results
The results showed that, from the teachers' perspective, the component of efficiency in educational strategies had the highest mean (4.03), while the component of satisfaction with salary had the lowest mean (2.87). In examining the assumptions of the structural equation modeling, there were no missing data or outliers, and the normality of score distributions was confirmed after dividing the skewness and kurtosis statistics by their standard errors, with all components of the three research variables falling within the ±2 range. In assessing multicollinearity among the research variables using the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) method, the values were 1.064 between emotional intelligence and teacher self-efficacy, 1 between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction, and 1.064 between teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction, all below 5, indicating no multicollinearity, and all underlying assumptions were met. Regarding the overall model fit, the chi-square divided by degrees of freedom (χ²/df) was less than 3, and other relative fit indices, including the Goodness of Fit Index (GFI), Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI), Normed Fit Index (NFI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Incremental Fit Index (IFI), and Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), were all above 0.9. Additionally, the Root Mean Square Residual (RMR) and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) indices were below 0.05, indicating an optimal fit of the overall research model. In examining the structural relationships among the variables, the t-values (or C.R. column) demonstrated that the causal relationships among all three variables were significant at the 0.05 alpha level. The mediating role of teacher self-efficacy in explaining the causal relationships between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction was confirmed. Moreover, considering the indirect effect (0.34) and the total effect (0.78) of emotional intelligence on teachers' job satisfaction, the Variance Accounted For (VAF) value for the mediating effect of teacher self-efficacy was 44%.

Discussion
Therefore, to improve teachers' job satisfaction and by extension, enhance teaching and learning outcomes, it is essential to foster emotional intelligence, which contributes to the development of more self-efficacious teachers.