A professor who feels their work significantly impacts student learning is likely experiencing a high level of which job characteristic?

The job characteristic that best aligns with a professor feeling that their work significantly impacts student learning is task significance. This characteristic refers to the degree to which a job has a substantial impact on the lives of others. When a professor perceives that their teaching role significantly contributes to the education and development of their students, it enhances their sense of purpose and motivation. Task significance helps cultivate a personal connection to the work and fosters a desire to excel in teaching due to the perceived importance of their influence on student outcomes.

In contrast, skill variety pertains to the range of skills utilized in performing the job, while task identity relates to the extent to which a job requires completing a whole and identifiable piece of work. Autonomy refers to the level of independence and freedom an employee has in their role. Although these other characteristics contribute to job satisfaction and motivation, they do not directly convey the deep-seated sense of purpose tied to impacting others' lives, which is what task significance encapsulates.