Teachers In Greece Research Articles

Burnout Syndrome Dimensions as Perceived by Kindergarten Teachers and Elementary School Teachers in Greece

The present article seeks to explore the dimensions of occupational exhaustion of primary education teachers (kindergarten and elementary school teachers), making use of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) as its research tool. The data on which the article is based were drawn from a study carried out in an urban area in Greece investigating the following three issues: (1) Are there variations in the dimensions of occupational exhaustion detected? (2) Are there any differences in the dimensions of occupational exhaustion detected between kindergarten and elementary school teachers? (3) Are there any differences in the dimensions of burnout in regard to demographic characteristics? The data was collected through an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. The analysis of the findings shows moderate and high differences in the dimensions of the burnout syndrome. In particular, the scale of emotional burnout appears to be on moderate-high levels, the depersonalization scale shows moderate levels, and the personal accomplishment scale indicates high levels. Elementary school teachers seem to experience occupational exhaustion syndrome more intensely, while kindergarten teachers demonstrate higher levels on the personal accomplishment scale. Furthermore, certain demographic characteristics, such as gender, the teaching experience of teachers, and their overall satisfaction with their earned income, seem to be related to occupational burnout syndrome.

The Participation of Teachers in Greece in Outdoor Education Activities and the Schools’ Perceptions of the Benefits to Students

International research highlights the potentially valuable contribution of outdoor education to the healthy development and proper holistic education of students. Among the various benefits that students gain from participating in outdoor activities are the mitigation of symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), improved respiration, memory improvement, skills development and others. Despite the well-documented contribution of such activities to children’s wellbeing, there is an increasing trend of younger children lacking contact with nature. The current study investigates to what extent teachers in Greece, at schools where students aged 6–18 attend, provide opportunities for outdoor activities to their students. Furthermore, it investigates the teacher’s perceptions of the benefits the students gain from such activities, based on their personal experience and the experience of other co-teachers in their school. The results presented in this study indicate that the percentage of teachers who choose outdoor activities during the educational process in Greece is rather low, although they identify that such activities provide significant benefits to students. Based on the perceptions of teachers regarding the mental, cognitive and physical benefits that students gain from outdoor activities a positive association was found between the participation of students in such activities and these benefits. Therefore, this study reveals that it is of significant importance to increase the number of opportunities for students’ participation in outdoor learning activities, by supporting teachers, creating learning communities with them and empowering them to provide more outdoor learning opportunities.

How do teachers view multilingualism in education? Evidence from Greece, Italy and The Netherlands

As an increasing number of multilingual children are enrolled in European schools, it is important to gain more insight into teachers’ attitudes towards multilingual approaches in education. The goal of this study is to investigate the attitudes of primary school teachers in Greece, Italy and the Netherlands, three countries that have a highly multilingual student population but differ with respect to the migration context and language policies. Using an online questionnaire, we assessed teachers’ attitudes towards multilingualism in the school environment and their adherence to monolingual ideals. We aimed to compare the three countries and investigate which factors related to the teachers’ background and school characteristics predict teachers’ beliefs. The results suggest that teachers in Greece are significantly more positive towards multilingualism than teachers in Italy and the Netherlands, despite great individual variation. Moreover, for all three countries, we found that having received training on multilingualism had a positive effect on teachers’ attitudes. In the Netherlands, we found that teachers who taught a greater proportion of multilingual students on average showed more positive attitudes towards multilingualism. We discuss the implications of these findings for educational language policy, highlighting the importance of evidence-based training on multilingualism for all teachers.

Recontextualising Stenhouse: Instantiations of the ‘teacher as researcher’ metaphor in Greece and Cyprus

AbstractThis paper explores the transfer, translation and recontextualisation of Laurence Stenhouse's work, as encapsulated in the ‘teacher as researcher’ metaphor, to the Greek language and in the fields of research and policy in Greece and Cyprus. We first briefly frame action research work as emerging through and within a specific space‐time (and in conversation with others in North America, Australia and Europe). We then trace its translation from English to Greek in specific key publications in books and articles (including his 1975 seminal work An introduction to curriculum research and development), which have since been central to curriculum studies as an academic field in both countries. We then construct four vignettes as cases of different uses of the metaphor in different fields. The first two refer to the institutional context of a new type of school called ‘second chance schools’ and a state policy for the professional development of teachers in Greece. The other two refer to an initial teacher education university programme and to the most recent school curriculum change in the Republic of Cyprus. We conclude by discussing certain patterns of constriction across the four vignettes in the recontextualisation of the ‘teacher as researcher’ to particular aspects of the metaphor as it morphed in two rather centralised contexts with a strong historical presence of a formal, state‐mandated curriculum and of teachers as public servants. Despite these patterns of constriction, we also note how other aspects of the metaphor provided conditions for some transformation.

Professional learning networks: a descriptive phenomenological study with primary school teachers in Greece

Purpose Professional learning networks (PLNs) involve teachers’ collaboration with others outside of their school to improve teaching and learning. PLNs can facilitate teachers’ professional growth and school improvement. This study aims to explore the drivers for participation within PLNs, the enactment process and the impact of PLN participation on teachers, students and schools in Greece. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experience of primary school teachers participating in PLNs. Findings The findings showed that individuals who were open to change were driving innovation to address a need or a lack in their daily practice that was not satisfied within their usual community of practice. The key element of the participation was peer collaboration with openness of communication without attendant accountability pressures. The change was mainly identified in teacher skills and the school climate. An individual could bring change only if the school is already open to change. In some cases, resistance to change in schools was identified before enactment or during enactment. The transformation of teachers’ and leaders’ stances is discussed, enabling the opportunity to maximise school improvement. Originality/value The study examines PLNs as European Union-funded initiatives that are developed by teachers in centralised education systems under the phenomenological research paradigm. It explores the PLNs in a different setting compared to the existing conceptual theory of change for PLNs.

The impact of information needs satisfaction on the creativity of visual art teachers

PurposeThe aim of this study is to investigate how the information needs satisfaction of visual art teachers affects their creativity. Visual art teachers’ information seeking behaviour and specifically the association of information needs satisfaction with creativity has been an understudied area, despite competent information seeking being considered essential for high quality practices of art teachers.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was developed addressing the information seeking behaviour of art teachers, informed by Wilson’s model (1981), including visual art teachers’ information needs, information resources, obstacles faced while seeking information and the perceived impact of information needs satisfaction on visual art teachers’ creativity.FindingsThe study included 298 visual art teachers in Greece. The results demonstrated that the key information needs of art teachers were mainly related to materials’ properties, techniques for creating artwork and artwork promotion methods. Online information sources were the preferred sources of art information, followed by colleagues, personal collections and visits to galleries and museums. Our study identified lack of time, lack of specialized libraries and copyright, as the main barriers to information seeking.Originality/valueInformation about art plays a substantial role in visual art education, while visual art teachers’ information needs satisfaction positively influences their creative endeavours. There is a need to further explore the digital information needs of visual art teachers.

The Effect of Educational Environment, Instruction Preparation and Instruction Delivery- Student Assessment on Attitudes towards Self-Evaluation: A Study in Primary and Secondary Teachers in Greece

The Effect of Educational Environment, Instruction Preparation and Instruction Delivery- Student Assessment on Attitudes towards Self-Evaluation: A Study in Primary and Secondary Teachers in Greece

Teacher Education and Gender Equality in Greece: A case study

In the sociology of education, a great debate on the issue of gender has been created. Nowadays, educating teachers about gender equality (GE) is a matter of sustainable development especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. The special living conditions of the global social confinement as a measure to eradicate the virus disclosed a worrying outbreakof domestic and gender-based violence in all social categories. After the pandemic, the educational community has been engaged in GE and gender issues with the development of schools’ action plans as reflected in relevant studies in Greece and all over the world. The present study attempts to examine the teachers’ self-efficacy and needs concerning their training for a sustainable GE practice. The importance of the study originates from the necessity to highlight the teachers’ attitudes towards the issues of GE as Greece ranks last in the European Union on the GE Index. For this research, the tool, a validated questionnaire of teacher efficacy for GE practice is administered to secondary education teachers in Greece. Teachers are asked to assess their confidence in gender knowledge, skills, and awareness. The findings of the research showed that the majority of the teachers express their moderate perceptions, great concern, and need for training in developing practices on GE issues at school. However, there are findings that show that patriarchal values are firm in pedagogical practices. This study will create awareness of the necessity of integrating practices of GE in teacher training and education and give the initiative for further studies on the local or national level concerning the attitudes towards GE in education. Integrating GE in the national curricula through suitable teacher interventions could bridge gender inequalities and lead to a more balanced living for future generations.

Exploring the Impact of Different Leadership Styles on Job Satisfaction among Primary School Teachers in the Achaia Region, Greece

This study explores the relationship between the transformational style of primary education Principals and the job satisfaction of their primary teachers in the Achaia region of Greece. A survey of primary school teachers in Greece (n = 411) revealed a strong positive association between transformational leadership and job satisfaction, highlighting the critical role of effective leadership in fostering a positive and supportive work environment for teachers. Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated significant correlations between leadership style and job satisfaction, considering both extrinsic and intrinsic parameters. Demographic factors, such as age and work experience, were associated with variations in satisfaction with the freedom to choose how to work, recognition for work, and promotion prospects. Specifically, older teachers expressed lower satisfaction levels in these areas. Moreover, the study highlighted the substantial impact of leadership style on job satisfaction. Age had a negative correlation with satisfaction with the freedom to choose how to work (r = −0.11, p = 0.019) and satisfaction with recognition for work (r = −0.112, p = 0.019), suggesting that older teachers tend to be less satisfied with these aspects of their jobs. Work experience had a negative correlation with satisfaction with promotion prospects (r = −0.14, p < 0.001), suggesting that more experienced teachers tend to be less satisfied with their prospects for career advancement. Transformational and personalized leadership styles were positively correlated with job satisfaction. Transformational leadership exhibited a strong positive correlation with satisfaction from the administration, colleagues, and working conditions (r = 0.785, p < 0.001). Transactional leadership also exhibits significant positive correlations with these aspects of job satisfaction, albeit to a slightly lesser extent. On the other hand, transactional leadership demonstrated a moderate positive correlation with overall job satisfaction (r = 0.301, p < 0.01), while no significant correlation is observed with satisfaction from the administration, colleagues, and working conditions. Passive laissez-faire leadership, in contrast, revealed negative correlations with all dimensions of job satisfaction, indicating a detrimental impact on the satisfaction levels of primary school teachers. These nuanced findings underscore the importance of considering multiple leadership styles in understanding their varied impacts on job satisfaction among teachers.

Through the Lens of Teachers: Unveiling Educational Administration and Role Intentions in the Multicultural Mosaic of Greek Schools

<p style="text-align: justify;">This study aims to investigate the views of active primary and secondary education teachers in Greece while implementing educational administration in the modern Greek school for issues related to multiculturalism and their intention to take an active role in co-shaping internal education policy, considering the country's centralized educational system and the flexibility it leaves for the participants in everyday educational reality. 1052 Primary and Secondary education teachers from Greece took part in the research. Descriptive statistics were used, followed by a test of the effect of the sample's social profile on their perceptions, and complex statistical analyzes such as correlations and multiple regression. The findings shape an educational leader who embraces the core principles of intercultural education. According to teachers, these findings are also considered encouraging, since they delineate a teacher who no longer rests, only, in their pedagogical duties, but understands that they must be part of the educational life. Finally, the findings confirmed the influence that an educational leader can exert with their behavior on the teachers at their school. This research sets the basis for the delineation of educational administration in the modern Greek multicultural educational reality by utilizing various statistical methods.</p>

Self-Assessment Inclusion Scale (SAIS): a tool for measuring inclusive competence and sensitivity

Recent studies highlight the fact that the establishment of an inclusive school is regarded as a requirement for the growth of a pluralistic, democratic society in which each form of diversity is welcomed and valued and the maintenance of social justice is a top priority. The aim of this research was to design and validate the Self-Assessment Inclusion Scale (SAIS) and test it in the population of teachers in Greece and Cyprus. The SAIS scale aims to selfassess the participants’ inclusive competence. Its ultimate goal is to help people to consider their skills, knowledge, and awareness of themselves in their interactions with others. The validation of the SAIS scale took place between October 2022 and February 2023 in 401 teachers in Greece and Cyprus using census sampling. The sample consisted of all school grade school teachers. The results of this study show that SAIS scale is reliable, functional and suitable for use in order to measure the inclusive competence of the participants. Moreover, it emerged that the participants were willing to consider their daily actions and behaviours and had some awareness of their own prejudices and stereotypes. However, there is still a lot to be done in terms of formulating plans to lessen harm and make the environment more inclusive for everyone. The findings imply that the participants were willing to consider their teaching methods and behaviour and that they were aware of some of their own biases and stereotypes. In conclusion, the selfassessment scale used in this study to assess inclusive competence was found to be valid and useful in assessing participants’ cultural awareness, knowledge, behaviours, and attitudes. The research team recommends its use as a tool for maintaining inclusion in community settings, schools and other organisations.

Occupational Stress Sources: Views of Kindergarten Teachers in Greece

Occupational Stress Sources: Views of Kindergarten Teachers in Greece

The impact of self-efficacy on the well-being of primary school teachers: a Greek-Cypriot study.

This research was conducted to examine the extent to which teachers' self-efficacy affects their well-being following the COVID-19 pandemic. The originality of the research lies in the fact that there are not enough studies that simultaneously examine the relationship between well-being and self-efficacy in primary school teachers in Greece and Cyprus. A total of 258 primary school teacher participants took part in this study, aged 23-62. The Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale and the PERMA Profiler questionnaire were used to study the relationship between teachers' well-being and self-efficacy. Results show that after the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers' well-being is moderate to high. Moreover, teachers' self- efficacy is also high and related to their well-being. An important finding from the current research is that teachers' self-efficacy in promoting student engagement was the most important predictor for teachers' well-being. The implications of the results are discussed, and recommendations are made.

On Teachers’ Perceptions of Development of Expertise from the Experience of Distance Teaching and Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current study explores the factors that influence teachers’ perception of the development of their own “teacher expertise” due to the distance teaching during lockdowns because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consists of 133 primary and secondary school teachers in Greece. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, hierarchical regression and correlation coefficients are used for the analyses of the data. The results show that teachers’ readiness regarding the use of software and hardware is positively correlated with a. teachers’ perception of students’ learning outcomes, b. cognitive and behavioural reaction to change for primary school teachers. Cognitive reaction to change and teachers’ perception of the students’ learning outcome, in turn, influence teachers’ perception about the development of their own “teacher expertise”. The importance of readiness and the cognitive reaction to changes in the teachers’ perception of the development of their “teacher expertise” highlights the need for continuous training of teachers in computer use and technology literacy.

Investigating energy literacy of pre-service primary school teachers in Greece

Today, the notion of energy has never been more critical, such that it’s become a major environmental, economic, and political issue. Education has a key role to play in cultivating the energy literacy of citizens and therefore encouraging wise and sustainable-driven decisions toward energy transition. Considering teachers are the instigators of this transition, this study investigates the level of energy literacy among 408 Greek pre-service primary school teachers using the energy literacy questionnaire (ELQ). The results indicated that pre-service teachers have low-to-moderate knowledge of energy concepts and challenges, however, show a rather satisfactory level in affect and behavior. Still, they express caution over the potential costs of renewable energy and the shift away from the prevailing energy use model. Women performed better than men in the affective and behavioral dimensions of ELQ and pre-service teachers who opted for a science or technology major in high school performed better in the cognitive and affective dimensions than those who had pursued the humanities. Finally, a correlation analysis revealed that attitude has a significant effect on behavior.

SECONDARY EDUCATION TEACHERS' VIEWS ON ISSUES RELATED TO WASTEWATER AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

This research investigated the views of secondary education teachers in Greece regarding waste management. A questionnaire was administered to 332 in-service secondary education teachers from various specialties to collect data on their views related to their ability and willingness to implement waste management topics, knowledge of waste management terms, and prioritization of waste management actions. The findings revealed that secondary education teachers expressed a moderate to low level of ability to implement educational activities related to waste management, with a wide distribution of views. They express that they felt more confident in implementing Environmental Education Programs (EEP) related to solid waste management than wastewater management. Teachers showed interest in participating in and organizing environmental programs, particularly for solid waste management. While teachers demonstrated a moderate level of basic knowledge of waste management, their understanding varied across different topics. Some terms were well-known, while others were less familiar. Teachers had a limited understanding of waste management principles and struggled to correctly prioritize waste management actions, with a significant percentage prioritizing recycling over waste minimization. These findings highlight the need for further education and training for secondary education teachers in Greece regarding waste management and environmental education. Improvements are necessary to bridge the gap between teachers' knowledge and understanding of waste management principles. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating waste management topics into teacher education programs and providing ongoing professional development opportunities. This research contributes to the literature by identifying areas for improvement in environmental education practices among secondary education teachers in Greece. The findings provide insights for curriculum development and teacher training programs. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of environmental education initiatives aimed at enhancing teachers' knowledge and understanding of waste management principles.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0015/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The Effect of Formal Qualifications and Continuous Professional Development on Attitudes towards Self-Evaluation: A Study in Primary and Secondary Teachers in Greece

The Effect of Formal Qualifications and Continuous Professional Development on Attitudes towards Self-Evaluation: A Study in Primary and Secondary Teachers in Greece

Assessing teachers’ digital competence in primary and secondary education: Applying a new instrument to integrate pedagogical and professional elements for digital education

Teachers’ digital competence (DC) is an important condition for the effective application of technology in education. Although several DC tools have been designed, adjustments to digital education and pedagogical or professional components are still scarce. Therefore, this study aims at developing a new instrument for assessing teachers’ DC regarding their pedagogical and professional activities in the context of digital school and digital education. The study also examines the teachers’ total DC scores and explores the differences between teacher profiles on a sample of 845 teachers in primary and secondary education in Greece. The final instrument comprises 20 items allocated in six components: 1) Teaching preparation; 2) Teaching delivery & students’ support; 3) Teaching evaluation & revision; 4) Professional development; 5) School’s development; and 6) Innovating education. The PLS-SEM analysis indicated the validity and reliability of the model in respect to its factorial structure, internal consistency, convergence validity, and model fitness. The results revealed DC inefficiency among teachers in Greece. Primary school teachers reported significantly lower scores in Professional development and Teaching delivery & students support. Female teachers reported significantly lower scores in Innovating education and School's development, but they reported higher scores in Professional development. The contribution and practical implications are discussed in the paper.

Fears towards disability and their impact on teaching practices in inclusive classrooms: An empirical study with teachers in Greece

Our research examines Greek special and general education teachers' fears toward disability and their impact on teaching in inclusive classrooms. We interviewed 12 teachers from the region of Attica (Athens) and documented attitudes and beliefs toward disability, with the goal of identifying teachers' personal sources of resistance to inclusion. Medical paradigm of understanding disability and the absence of inclusive school culture are some of the results that revealed teachers’ sources of resisting to inclusive changes and the way these affect their teaching. Based on these findings, we discuss a two-pronged process that shifts the existing culture of understanding disability and welcomes diversity in schools.

CLIL Implementation in Greece

Abstract Despite the increasing interest in CLIL in Greece over the past decade, Greek CLIL research is largely absent from international review studies. This systematic review focuses on primary and secondary education, and examines peer-reviewed empirical research on CLIL implementation in Greece from 2006 to 2020. A total of 33 items are reviewed using qualitative Content Analysis. Organized according to commonalities shared by their foci, the reviewed items highlight three main research areas of CLIL implementation in Greece: (1) CLIL project evaluation, (2) CLIL students’ development, and (3) CLIL teachers. The reviewed studies suggest that CLIL implementation in Greece tends to be quantitatively examined, context specific, and very small in scale. The reviewed studies are largely outcome oriented and concerned with issues of efficacy. Contrary to project evaluation and learning outcomes, CLIL teachers in Greece have received significantly less attention from empirical research.