Psychosocial Burden and Strains of Pedagogues-Using the Job Demands-Resources Theory to Predict Burnout, Job Satisfaction, General State of Health, and Life Satisfaction.

Marie Drüge,Karin Schleider,Sandra Schladitz,Markus Antonius Wirtz

doi:10.3390/ijerph18157921

Abstract

The current study examines the Job Demands-Resources theory among pedagogical professionals. A total of 466 pedagogues (n = 227 teachers; n = 239 social workers) completed the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire online. After testing the questionnaire structure using confirmatory factor analysis, a JD-R-based prediction model to predict effects of strains on the outcome constructs of burnout, job satisfaction, general state of health, and life satisfaction was estimated. The results confirm the questionnaire structure (RMSEA= 0.038; CFI = 0.94) as well as the fit of the prediction model (RMSEA = 0.039; CFI = 0.93). The outcome constructs could be predicted by emotional demands, work–privacy conflict, role conflicts, influence at work, scope for decision making, and opportunities for development (0.41 ≤ R² ≤ 0.57). Especially for life satisfaction, a moderator analysis proved the differences between teachers and social workers in the structure of the prediction model. For teachers, quantitative demands and work–privacy conflict are predictive, and for social workers, role conflicts and burnout are predictive. The study offers starting points for job-related measures of prevention and intervention.

Highlights

Psychosocial stress in the workplace and its consequences have increasingly become a matter of public interest in recent years
There has been no application of a Job Demands-Resources (JD-R)-based model to educational occupational fields across the board, so in the present study, the constructs of burnout, job satisfaction, general health, and life satisfaction are to be predicted in pedagogues from occupational requirements and individual as well as social resources
Indicator reliabilities of individual items indicated unacceptable indicator–construct associations (IR < 0.4)

Summary

Introduction

Psychosocial stress in the workplace and its consequences (e.g., exhaustion, life satisfaction, job satisfaction) have increasingly become a matter of public interest in recent years. Pedagogical professions are especially affected by stress consequences [1,2] Both teachers as well as social workers count among these pedagogical professions and are characterized by working with people and by interactions that create occupational field-specific demands and resources. Model [3] have been developed in order to predict the stress consequences based especially on work characteristics and conditions [4,5]. As this model is one of the most widely used across multiple professional areas and has been consistently updated to incorporate new findings [6], it provides a solid basis for research into work-related stress. There has been no application of a JD-R-based model to educational occupational fields across the board, so in the present study, the constructs of burnout, job satisfaction, general health, and life satisfaction are to be predicted in pedagogues from occupational requirements and individual as well as social resources

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion