Abstract
ObjectiveTeachers are affected by high levels of job stress, leading to one of the highest rates of burnout. The purpose of our pilot study was to investigate the diurnal course of teachers’ psychological and physiological stress responses [cortisol levels, alpha-amylase, heart rate (HR), and heart rate variability (HRV)]. Another aim of the project was to test the applicability of ambulatory assessment methods in daily teaching situations.MethodsIn a non-clinical sample of eight primary school teachers (mean age = 43, SD = 15.22, 6 females) in Switzerland, continuous biopsychological data on two workdays and a free day were assessed. The teachers’ HRs and HRV were measured continuously using an ambulatory ECG. Additionally, eight saliva samples were collected from the teachers repeatedly throughout the day to determine the diurnal course of salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase (sAA). Perceived stress and anger ratings were assessed simultaneously.ResultsAs hypothesized, the teachers’ morning cortisol levels, perceived stress, and anger levels were significantly higher, and their overall HRV was significantly lower on workdays than on a free day. Conversely, sAA levels and HRs showed no significant differences between working and free days. Salivary markers exhibited the expected diurnal course, with decreasing cortisol and increasing sAA levels over the course of the day, while self-rated stress reached the maximum at midday during working days.ConclusionThe results of the present explorative study show that physiological and psychological parameters differ within working and free days for teachers. A comparison between working and free days resulted in differences in morning cortisol levels, HRV as well as stress and anger levels. The ambulatory assessment method was found to be applicable in daily teaching situations.
Highlights
Work-related stress and its impact on health is a major contemporary challenge (Eurofound and EU-OSHA, 2014) in modern societies
Post hoc tests revealed significantly higher cortisol levels in the first morning sample compared to the last sample of the day at 8:00 pm (z = 3.67, padjusted < 0.01) on workdays
For alpha-amylase, we found a marked diurnal profile with a pronounced decrease in the first 30 min after awakening and steadily rising levels toward the afternoon and evening, which is typical for the circadian course of Salivary alphaamylase (sAA) (Nater et al, 2007)
Summary
Work-related stress and its impact on health is a major contemporary challenge (Eurofound and EU-OSHA, 2014) in modern societies. Regarding the economic burden in Switzerland, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) estimated that in 2000, stress resulted in costs of over 4.2 billion Swiss francs in the overall working population (Ramaciotti and Perriard, 2000), with increasing numbers in the following years (Grebner et al, 2011). Work-related stress appears to be especially high in the education sector (Aloe et al, 2014; Eurofound and EU-OSHA, 2014). Teachers’ emotional exhaustion further affects their teaching quality and reduces student achievement and student motivation (Klusmann et al, 2016) As another consequence of work-related stress, many teachers leave their profession or retire early (Ingersoll, 2001; Friedman, 2006). It is essential to understand and prevent teacher stress
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
