Psychological Functioning of Teachers Working in General and Special School Settings

Abstract

Education develops human personality, refine thoughts, teach how to deal with others, and prepare better human beings for life. Teachers are the pivotal element of education system as they have to inculcate the purpose of education in individuals. This research aimed to explore the relationship between two elements of psychological functioning i.e. meaning in life and life satisfaction in teachers working in different educational settings. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit N=140 teachers; n =70 from general and n =70 from special educational settings. A cross-sectional research design was employed. Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Demographic Information Sheet were used to collect the responses of school teachers. Results showed that teachers working in the special education setting reported high search for meaning in life as compared to teachers working in the general education setting. Furthermore, male teachers reported high search of meaning in life compared to female teachers. It was also revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between presence of meaning in life and satisfaction with life in teachers. Moreover, presence of meaning in life positively predicted life satisfaction. This research will lead the administration of the education system to introduce healthy reforms to improve psychological functioning of teachers and prepare them for upcoming challenges in the educational field.