<![CDATA[Although attention to teacher welfare has grown significantly, empirical literature presents persistent inconsistencies regarding whether work-life balance effectively mediates the link between organisational rewards and work engagement, particularly within collectivist educational settings. This study aims to evaluate the direct impact of rewards and recognition on work engagement whilst reevaluating the mediating role of work-life balance among middle school teachers in Lubuklinggau City, Indonesia. Utilising a quantitative causal-associative design, data were collected from 709 active middle school teachers using proportionate stratified random sampling and analysed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) combined with Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA). The findings indicate that rewards and recognition exert a robust, direct positive influence on work engagement (ꞵ = 0.295, p < 0.001). However, work-life balance fails to mediate this relationship due to an insignificant path from rewards and recognition to work-life balance (β = -0.046, p = 0.100). IPMA findings further reveal that rewards and recognition represent a high-importance construct for driving work engagement, despite showing moderate performance. These results may be interpreted through Self-Determination Theory and Conservation of Resources perspectives, suggesting that recognition directly satisfies professional identities even when it does not enhance work-life harmony. Education authorities are urged to design balanced appreciation schemes that foster teacher motivation alongside structural support.]]>
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