Abstract
The Society for Education and Training (SET) regards maintaining wellbeing for teachers as important as it ensures the retention of staff and the progress of learners. A survey conducted with teachers reported various factors contributing to lack of wellbeing of teachers in further education (FE) and adult education [19]. Focus group interviews asked teachers in an FE college about equal opportunity, management, working conditions, staffing levels and career prospects and how they use emotions. For some, there is insufficient working space and time for breaks between lessons. They will take work home to complete, learners can be affected when staff are ill and supply staff are not employed due to funding so covering for existing staff imposes demands on them. Management policies lack practical application and promotion opportunities are restricted for some. This paper examines the extent to which existing policies shape the practice of teachers and whether this impacts on their wellbeing in terms of emotional labour and symptoms of burnout. Interviews reveal that teaching staff may suffer from panic attacks and anxiety and feel unsupported by heads of departments. However, they will maintain a professional exterior when interacting with learners. The impact of policy on work life-balance (WL-B) is discussed. Some teachers do not have sufficient time to spend with families and presumably interests and hobbies while more experienced teachers can separate family life from working life and so maintain a balance. The paper examines the adequacy of existing standards for staff seeking to maintain wellbeing.
Highlights
The Society for Education and Training (SET) in the U.K [19] conducted a survey with 1,000 SET members and reported that a number of factors contribute to the feeling of wellbeing among further education (FE) and adult education teachers
Staff may feel that interaction between students and themselves must be emotionless when required as well as empathetic
When teachers feel they are stressed due to, for example work demands, they will vent their frustrations in the staff room, where there may be peers who can offer support
Summary
The Society for Education and Training (SET) in the U.K [19] conducted a survey with 1,000 SET members and reported that a number of factors contribute to the feeling of wellbeing among further education (FE) and adult education teachers These are: good working relationships with colleagues, opportunities for professional development, professional autonomy in a supportive organisation and having good managers. Older teachers, fifty plus, may feel exhausted due to, for example work demands, but interacting with students is not overly stressful. In terms of the teaching profession, teachers will manage feelings to create emotional displays (either surface or deep acting) in exchange for a wage. Personal accomplishment measures the extent to which teachers feel they have achieved positive outcomes with their work with students. The research instrument used in this research is created based on a literature survey
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