Equilibrium in the Classroom: A Systematic Review of Strategies for Work-Life Balance among Mathematics Teachers

Abstract

Creating a work balance between private and professional lives among employees remains daunting. Hence, a lack of equilibrium between work and family can result in stress, anxiety, and poor health, ultimately affecting organizational productivity. A plethora of literature has shown that Mathematics teachers experience more unique stressors at work due to the difficulty of subjects, workload, administrative tasks, and lesson note preparation. As a result, the pressure emanating from the imbalance between private and professional lives negatively impacts Mathematics teachers. The work-life balance has become a critical factor even among job seekers in deciding which job offer to accept.This review examines the factors contributing to the imbalance of work and personal life among mathematics teachers, including job demands, classroom management, and administrative responsibilities. This systematic review identifies the practices and practical strategies to help mathematics teachers manage their workload and achieve a healthy work-life balance. A PRISMA protocol was adopted for this review, while a thorough search of the Scopus bibliographic database was used to identify 99 academic papers. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria forin-depth analysis. Overall, the paper provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with achieving equilibrium in the classroom and offers practical strategies and recommendations for mathematics teachers struggling to balance their professional and personal lives. Thus, this paper will serve as reference material for Mathematics and STEM teachers in learning coping strategies to create an equilibrium between the classroom and private lives.