Salutogenetic resources in the everyday lives of teachers : promoting workplace learning and well-being

• Main Author: Nilsson, Marie
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Högskolan Kristianstad, Avdelningen för Oral hälsa och folkhälsovetenskap 2017
• Subjects: Workplace heatlh promotion; teachers; salutogenesis; intervention; collegial reflection; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hkr:diva-16712; http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:isbn:978-91-7619-453-9

The aim of this thesis was to explore salutogenic resources in the everyday lives of teachers, and toinvestigate how an intervention of collegial reflection influences their work-related learning and their being.The thesis includes two parts, a needs assessment and an intervention, performed between 2009 and2016. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches have been used in the process of the thesis. Methods used for data generation have been multistage focus groups interviews, individual interviews, questionnaire, open mail questions, and digital recordings of the reflection meetings. Four different methods have been used For the analyses: content analysis, hermeneutic analysis, multiple linear regression, and thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the caring relationships with pupils, but also colleagues, were important for the teachers’ finding meaning in their work. The caring relationships and the sense of meaningfulness were important resources for the teachers well-being. Collegial reflection was a health promoting resource in that it contributed with social support from colleagues, a sense of belonging, a consensus regarding shool issues, and recovery. This recovery occurred while the teachers were having their collegial reflection, indicating that they still felt recovered even though they were reflecting on work-related issues. The thesis also indicates that teachers’ experiences of time pressure at work was the variable with the strongest associaton to their experience of work-life balance. The integration of work and private lives is an important part of being a teacher. Certain aspects of work was considered as positive and salutogenic when integrated with their private lives, such as the creative aspect of teaching. However, other aspects, such as ruminating over abused pupils, were affecting their well-being in a detrimental way when integrated in their private lives. In a time when much focus is put on teachers’ increasing workload, documentation and psychosocial risks, it is important to pay more attention to the salutogenic and the enhancing aspects of  teacher's work. By doing that, teachers’ well-being may be enhanced, as well as supporting teacher retention.