Published research studies in Central Europe have been mostly oriented toward occupational stress among schoolteachers. The aim of this study is to investigate the level of occupational stress in ...kindergarten teachers and to specify psychosocial risks associated with their work.
The study was conducted by using a Meister questionnaire and a Psychosocial risk questionnaire. The data collection was obtained from kindergarten teachers in 2017. The survey link with request was sent to participants via email. A total 287 questionnaires from 67 kindergarten schools were collected.
192 (66.9%) teachers perceived their work as mentally burdensome. Teachers who perceived their work as mentally non-burdening were more likely to report autonomy in their work (p=0.001), fair performance evaluation (p=0.010), sufficient family time (p=0.005), a health-protected workplace (p=0.000) and absence of violence and bullying (p=0.042). Teachers with a university degree perceiving work as mentally burdensome reported that their work was not adequately assessed (p=0.034). Teachers over 45 years of age with school practice of over 20 years reported injustice in evaluating work performance against younger colleagues (p=0.000).
Kindergarten teachers reported overloading, time pressure, and high responsibility, but considered their work interesting. However, changing the way teachers work in schools can reduce teacher resignation and improve teachers' well-being.
The lifestyle of pre-school teachers and their assistents as an element of subjective theories Background:In the light of the subjective theories of pre-school teachers and their assistants, the ...authors highlight the problem of children spending quality time in kindergartens and the associated acceptance of a lifestyle by pre-schoolchildren. By identifying differences in opinions, attitudes and habits in the pre-school teachers and their assistants on some factors, such as what constitutes quality time, the authors conclude that pre-school teachers need to have a greater influence on the orientation of the playgroup and stricter criteria in the evaluation of the current situation than the pre-school teachers' assistants. Methods: The sample was composed of 810 pre-school teachers and assistants from the whole territory of Slovenia. The data was collected within the scope of a more extensive research project entitled »Professional training for education practitioners to implement elements of the special pedagogical principles of the Reggio Emilia concept in the field of pre-school education« and were analysed using the SPSS program, version 16. Results: The analysis of the results showed differences between pre-school teachers and their assistants in the evaluation of the amount and quality of sports equipment and in their attitudes to physical/sporting activities, in favour of pre-school teachers, who are also more physically active and indulge more in physical/sporting activities in playgroups than their assistants. Conclusions: The results of the research focus the authors on the transformation of subjective theories, which have their basis in the entire educational process. Therefore, they propose that preventive physical/sporting activity programs be incorporated in the existing education programs for future pre-school teachers and teacher's assistants. Furthermore, they propose that the offer of continuing education seminars be expanded and that playgroups broaden their sports and recreation programs for parents, children and staff. The authors also suggest that playgroups offer sports and recreation for parents, children and staff. This integrated approach would help transform the subjective theories, which in turn influence the orientation of pre-school teachers and their assistants in the physical activity of children. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
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