Teacher wellbeing

There is no single agreed-upon definition of wellbeing, but most agree that wellbeing comprises physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Teacher wellbeing can be described as a state where teachers perceive job satisfaction, experience positive emotions more frequently than negative emotions, and function well both as a teacher and in their other roles in life. Functioning well includes supportive professional relationships, professional growth and a feeling of self-efficacy.

Teacher wellbeing is of critical importance because, when schools prioritise teacher wellbeing and help to ensure teachers can flourish, this can promote better classroom climates and enable high quality teaching that leads to success for students. Teacher wellbeing is also linked to student wellbeing, and addressing teacher wellbeing is an important first step in school-wide programmes to promote student wellbeing.

As there is no one agreed upon definition of wellbeing, and it can encompass a range of ideas from positive emotions to purpose in life, the research evidence about teacher wellbeing is diverse. However, the research evidence on factors that contribute to teacher wellbeing, such as resilience, teacher emotional intelligence, teacher learning and identity, self-efficacy and positive, supportive and trusting relationships is strong.

Schools can support teacher wellbeing by considering how the organisational climate, social interactions, and teachers’ individual actions all contribute to teacher wellbeing. A school-wide discussion about what wellbeing means to people, and how to promote it, can be a useful starting point, as this will vary from one school to the next. In addition to the whole-school approach to improving wellbeing, individual teachers need to take charge of their own wellbeing in order to flourish.

• How do teachers define or describe wellbeing?
• How do teachers rate their current level of wellbeing?
• What do teachers do to cope with stress and how can schools support them?
• How do teachers rate their work/life balance and how can schools support them to maintain a healthy workload?
• How can schools promote teacher learning to improve wellbeing, and how can teachers be proactive about their own professional development?