Understanding primary school teacher wellbeing in Scotland through the lens of Self-Determination Theory

Abstract

Poor teacher wellbeing has been shown to be one of the leading factors behind rising levels of burnout and attrition within the teaching profession. Research suggests that teacher wellbeing can have a significant impact on pupil outcomes both academically and experientially in schools (Hoguland at al., 2015; White, 2020). This study provides an original contribution to the existing literature through its focus on exploring primary teacher wellbeing in Scotland through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT). SDT proposes that for individuals to feel a positive sense of wellbeing, three basic psychological conditions must be met – competence, autonomy and relatedness. Through exploring these factors, the researchers aimed to gain insight into the conditions which promote wellbeing and those which impinge on it. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six primary school teachers using an online platform (Microsoft Teams). Data analysis was conducted according to the steps outlined by Braun and Clarke for Reflexive Thematic Analysis (2006, 2013, 2019). The main themes developed – competence, relatedness and autonomy – were extracted and discussed. An overarching theme, which arose as impacting on the satisfaction of these psychological needs is school management practices, in particular the extent to which reciprocal, responsive, trusting relationships with managers can be established. Reflections around researcher subjectivity and using an online platform are discussed. Suggested implications for practice include providing protected supervision times for teachers and more extensive teacher consultation in educational decision-making processes.