Stress, flourishing and intention to leave of teachers: Does coping type matter?

Abstract

Orientation: Teachers face a demanding work environment which might cause stress. Depending on teachers’ coping profile, distress might indirectly affect teachers’ intentions to resign from their jobs via their flourishing.Research purpose: This study aimed to investigate the associations between teachers’ perceived stress, flourishing at work, intention to leave their jobs and coping types.Motivation for the study: The effect of stress on flourishing at work has not been studied in relation to teachers’ intentions to leave. Furthermore, no person-centred studies on coping of teachers in relation to their well-being and retention were found.Research approach/design and method: A sample of teachers (n = 209) participated in a cross-sectional study. The Perceived Stress Scale, Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) Inventory, Flourishing-at-Work Scale – Short Form and Intention to Leave Scale were administered. Latent variable modelling was used to analyse the data.Main findings: Flourishing at work was positively associated with perceived positive stress and low perceived distress. Perceived distress impacted teachers’ intentions to leave directly and indirectly (via low flourishing). Perceived positive stress indirectly and negatively impacted teachers’ intentions to leave via flourishing. Person-centred analyses identified three types of copers that were associated with perceived positive stress and distress.Practical/managerial implications: It is essential to focus on teachers’ stress, coping type and flourishing to promote their retention.Contribution/value-add: This study provided insights regarding the associations between teachers’ perceived stress, flourishing at work and intention to leave their jobs. Moreover, it showed that coping types are associated with the perceived stress of teachers.

A Scope Review of the Teacher Well-being Research Between 1968 and 2021

“…In this study, the researcher aimed to find out the development of teacher well-being (i.e., burnout) and some of the consequences. It turned out that teacher self-efficacy, as a personal outcome for teachers, was negatively affected Marais- Opperman et al (2021) Researchers operationalized flourishing as emotional, psychological, and well-being. The well-being statuses were negatively related with teachers' intentions to leave, a personal outcome for teachers Teaching Practice Seo & Yuh (2021) Researchers observed that teacher stress affected teacher-student interactions, as part of the teaching practices.…”

The impact of corruption on victim teachers during promotion processes in South Africa’s Basic education system

“…According to Marais-Opperman et al ( 2021), the demanding work environment which teachers face on day-to-day basis has often compelled some to resign their jobs. This is common where teachers fail to cope with the distress (Marais-Opperman et al, 2021). It becomes difficult for education authorities to retain in the service teachers whose well-being have been compromised and disrupted (Marais-Opperman et al, 2021).…”

“…This is common where teachers fail to cope with the distress (Marais-Opperman et al, 2021). It becomes difficult for education authorities to retain in the service teachers whose well-being have been compromised and disrupted (Marais-Opperman et al, 2021).…”

Catch and Release: Tools for Dealing with Teachers’ Stress

“…Some of these situations lead to creative and innovative solutions while others result in negative outcomes such as exhaustion, so positive and negative stress must be differentiated. Whereas positive stress may help teachers to flourish at work, negative stress -distress -leads to burnout and creates anxiety, disengagement, and the desire to leave one's job (Marais-Opperman et al, 2021;Susanty, 2017). Negative stress harms faculty members, impacts relationships with families and friends, and affects student learning.…”