Psychometric Properties of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire for Teachers (Teacher ERIQ)

Abstract

The effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model is a theoretical model of a psychosocial work environment with adverse effects on health and well-being that focuses on a mismatch between high efforts spent and low rewards received at work. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically test an effort-reward imbalance questionnaire for teachers (Teacher ERIQ) based on the ERI model. The structure validity, reliability, and criterion validity of the new questionnaire’s scores were evaluated in a sample of 475 Chinese teachers. The results of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that a structure of four factors of effort (workload, emotional demands, student-related issues, and social responsibility) and two factors of reward (emotional reward and material reward) in accordance with the ERI model had significant factor loadings and acceptable model fit. The Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients of all dimensions’ scores showed that the questionnaire scores had good reliability. Criterion validity was indicated by significant correlation coefficients of scores of most dimensions along with teachers’ self-reported job burnout and non-reciprocal social relations, as well as the ANOVA results showing that the differences of the scores of the two criterion scales in different ERI ratio levels were significant. The results also showed that teacher’s ERI level varied with demographic variables such as age, gender and school type. The Teacher ERIQ is a valid and reliable new measurement for assessing teachers’ psychosocial work characteristics. It can be an important tool to provide new explanations of stress-related health risks among teachers and to guide the development of preventive measurements.

Prevalence of mental health problems and associated factors among front-line public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: an effort–reward imbalance model-informed study

“…In the context of public health emergencies, working conditions and stress-related factors are among the most important determinants of mental health status among public health workers facing demanding work. The effort–reward imbalance model (ERI) is commonly used in research on work stress and working conditions in many professional populations, such as nurses [ 16 ], teachers [ 17 , 18 ], police officers [ 19 ] and doctors [ 20 ]. Additionally, the ERI model has been widely used to predict many stress-related physical and psychological disorders, such as hypertension [ 21 , 22 ], depression [ 16 , 23 ] and anxiety [ 16 ].…”

Effort–reward imbalance and job burnout: Examining cross-lagged relationships and the moderating role of sensitivity to terrorism.

“…For example, Jachens et al (2019) found that ERI was positively related to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization but negatively related to reduced personal accomplishment. Similarly, Ren et al (2019) found a positive and significant relationship between ERI and emotional exhaustion, whereas ERI was not significantly related to depersonalization and perceived lack of personal accomplishment. Their findings indicated that the imbalance between pay and return directly caused individuals' emotional exhaustion, but it did not affect their self-evaluation and basic attitude toward work.…”

Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Regulation Strategies, and Subjective Well-Being Among University Teachers: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

“…This study adopted the EFR questionnaire developed by Ren et al (2019) , which consists of two components (effort and reward). Effort contains 14 items, and the reward contains 14 items.…”