Wellbeing of private school teachers in international school settings

Abstract

Teaching is widely acknowledged as a demanding profession. As a result of increasing accountability, expectations and workload, teachers are under ever-growing pressures. Research has shown that more and more teachers are considering leaving the profession due to experiences of burnout, confounded by a lack of recognition or motivation. Within the private school sector, schools are under constant scrutiny from their fee-paying customers, and the inspection and grading processes applied by external bodies creates a competitive culture between schools. This study aims to understand the perceptions of teacher wellbeing in international private schools, as well as the corresponding leadership actions and practices that enhance wellbeing and promote flourishing.

This study, conducted in Dubai, adopted a mixed-methods approach. A quantitative survey which comprised of aspects from the PERMAH workplace profiler (Seligman, 2011), as well as open-response questions regarding common themes from the literature investigating school-based evaluation, climate, culture and leadership styles were utilised to gather perceptions of teacher wellbeing. Further to this, semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the lived experiences of a range of high and low wellbeing teachers.

The results from this study indicate that teachers working in international private schools feel positively regarding the relationships that they have with their colleagues and are experiencing relatively high levels of accomplishment within their job. However, teachers are experiencing increasing stress and workloads, limited rewards and a lack of trust from their leaders in their workplaces. Teachers also indicated that inadequate personalised professional development opportunities and particular leadership practices and styles negatively impact wellbeing.

Supporting these results with published research, there is evidence to suggest that international private educational institutions need to strongly consider the provision individualised wellbeing care for their teaching staff, as well as educating staff on self-care. Further to this, research has evidenced correlations between teacher wellbeing, student outcomes and school performance. Prioritising a whole school community approach to care can play a vital role in enhancing wellbeing and outcomes for all.