External and Internal Correlates of Teachers' Satisfaction and Willingness to Report Stress

Abstract

In order to examine the nature of feelings of work satisfaction and reports of job-related stress, teachers were asked to rate themselves regarding various aspects of their work functioning. Data regarding these teachers were also collected from principals, other teachers, parents and pupils. Teachers' general satisfaction and stress at work were found to relate mostly to their reported feelings about what happened within the class rather than to administrative or policy questions. Satisfaction as a teacher was related to internal factors (satisfaction in life in general and feelings of self efficacy) while reported stress was related to external factors (principal and pupil ratings.) The " better " teachers, according to external ratings, were willing to report more stress in their work situation. The British PsychologicalSoCiety 'British Journal of Developmental psycho lo^ Ediror: Peter Bryant, Watts Professor of Psychology, University of Oxford This quarterly journal, launched in spring 1983, publishes full length conceptual, empirical, review and discussion papers as well as brief reports on work in progress, in Development during childhood and adolescence; Early infant perceptual, cognitive and motor development; Abnormal developmentthe problems of handicaps, learning difficulties and childhood autism; Educational implications of child development; Parent-child interaction; Acquisition of language; Social and moral development; Ageing Selected content8 of Volume 2 (1984) Development of concrete operational thought and information coding in schooled and unschooled children The control of training and transfer effects in the Minnesota Spatial Relations and other tasks -Young children's coordination of motive and outcome in judgements of satisfaction and morality -N. Yill Cognitive style and moral judgement in mentally handicapped and non-handicapped children of equal The role of media in road safety education for young children -T. RothengafferReasons for the attribution of intent in seven-and nine-year-old children -S. Millur

Teacher stress in intermediate schools

“…This correlation is similar to those reported in other studies (r = 0.44, Galloway et al, 1984a;r = 0.43, Laughlin, 1984;and r = 0.40, Manthei and Solman, 1988). As suggested by Galloway et al (1984b), Kyriacou (1987) and Smilansky (1984), it is possible for teachers to report feeling stressed by some aspects of the job and satisfied with other aspects. This helps account for the greater percentage of teachers who reported being stressed compared to those who reported dissatisfaction.…”

Satisfação profissional e auto-estima em professores dos 2.º e 3.º ciclos do Ensino Básico

“…Outros autores que debruçaram as suas investigações sobre a (in)satisfação e o mal-estar especificamente na população docente, apresentam conclusões próximas aos resultados por nós encontrados, pois referem que os professores que evidenciam sentimentos de insatisfação, desmotivação e mal-estar tendem a apresentar um contínuo processo de empobrecimento, caracterizado por fadiga, perda de esperança, infelicidade, atitudes negativas para com o trabalho, as pessoas e a vida e uma reduzida auto-estima (Ávila de Lima, 1996;Castelo-Branco & Pereira, 2001;Esteve, 1992;Estrela, 1997;Jesus, 1999;Trabulho, 1999;Smilansky, 1984;Volpi, 1997). Na verdade será importante lembrar o que nos é dito por Pinto (1996): se existe mal-estar profissional entre os professores, ele é um sintoma de disfunção na auto-estima.…”

“…Por sua vez, Smilansky (1984) bem como Chaplain (1995) verificaram que a satisfação profissional se encontrava relacionada com a auto-estima, os sentimentos de auto-eficácia e a satisfação com a vida em geral. No mesmo sentido, autores como Jesus (1999), Pinto (1996) e Villa (1988, cit.…”

A structural model of the dimensions of teacher stress

“…The problem of teacher stress has received increasing recognition over recent years (e.g., Abouserie, in press;Borg, 1990;Borg & Falzon, 1989Borg, Riding & Falzon, 1991;Brenner, Sorbom & Wallius, 1985;Capel, 1987;Cooper & Payne, 1991;Farrugia, 1986;Fimian, 1988;Fletcher & Payne, 1982;Fontana & Abouserie, 1993;Kyriacou, 1987;Kyriacou & Sutcliffe, 1978a, 1978bPerlberg & Keinan, 1986;Smilansky, 1984;Smith & Bourke, 1992;Starnaman & Miller, 1992;Tellenback, Brenner & Lofgren, 1983;Turk, Meeks & Turk, 1982;Wearing, 1989;Woodhouse, Hall & Wooster, 1985). Although some investigators have played down the importance of such occupational stress (e.g., Milstein & Farkas, 1988), the fact is that teacher stress is such a serious problem that it often requires therapeutic intervention (Cox, Boot, Cox & Harrison, 1988;Hall, Woodhouse & Wooster, 1986).…”