Search the repository

A+ | A- | | SLO | ENG

Abstract: Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, namely, the biggest disruption to education in the last century, this article provides insights into the consequences it holds for teachers’ well-being, their (non)preparedness for and support needed in any such future disruptions in Slovenia. By utilising the Job Demands–Resources Model, insights are provided concerning job demands (stress) and job resources (support) on different levels (individual, micro, meso, macro, chrono) of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. The importance of complementing large-scale, representative, quantitative data (from the Responses to Educational Disruption Survey (REDS)) with qualitative data obtained from two focus groups comprising eight teachers in total is demonstrated to gain a comprehensive understanding of teachers’ well-being during educational disruptions. This study confirms that the intertwining of different levels in Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological system explains job demands (sources of stress) and job resources (support for teacher well-being) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of stressors at the time of the pandemic were identified on the micro level, whereas sources of support were primarily located on the individual and meso (school) levels. For any future educational disruptions, however, the most significant sources of support for teachers’ well-being are expected on the macro level (system and society).
Keywords: vzgoja in izobraževanje, učitelji, stres, stres na delovnem mestu, dobro počutje, motnje, delo, podpora, pandemije, covid-19, motnje v izobreževanju, Slovenija, education, teachers, work-related stress, stress, occupational well-being, disruption, support, pandemija, covid-19, Slovenia
Published in DiRROS: 29.12.2025; Views: 543; Downloads: 117
Full text (640,18 KB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: The question of addressing the diversity of students is one of the most pressing challenges for teachers. Practicing mindfulness can serve as a valuable support mechanism for teachers navigating situations that challenge diversity awareness. In this study, we test the indirect effect of mindfulness in teaching on the relationship between mindfulness and diversity awareness. We operationalise mindfulness in teaching through its interpersonal and intrapersonal dimension and diversity awareness through teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching in diverse settings, their cultural beliefs, and their’ flexibility/openness. We use data from a Slovene sample form the HAND IN HAND: Empowering Teachers Across Europe to Deal with Social, Emotional and Diversity Related Career Challenges (HAND:ET) project (N = 207; 94.2% females). The path analyses showed: (i) direct paths between mindfulness and all indicators of diversity awareness; (ii) direct paths between mindfulness and the intrapersonal dimension of mindfulness in teaching (but not the interpersonal dimension); (iii) direct paths from dimensions of mindfulness in teaching to indicators of diversity awareness; and (iv) significant indirect paths leading from mindfulness thorough the intrapersonal dimension of mindfulness in teaching to indicators of diversity awareness. Implications for research and practice in regard to teachers’ professional development are discussed.
Keywords: education, teachers, mindfulness, diversity awareness, Slovenia
Published in DiRROS: 02.09.2025; Views: 463; Downloads: 233
Full text (1,00 MB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: South Africa is a highly ranked country with regard to violence against women. Similar to their male counterparts, female teachers in South Africa must navigate the complexities of teaching in environments characterised by social unrest, crime, and instability. This systematic review was conducted to determine how safe female teachers are in their workplaces, specifically by analysing the challenges experienced by female teachers in these volatile areas and their impacts on well-being and productivity. The systematic literature review method was adopted, and the PRISMA flow chart was used to conduct an extensive search on four databases, namely Google Scholar (n = 52), Scopus (n = 11), Teacher Reference Center (n = 55), and Taylor and Francis (n = 123), for data generation and analysis. A total of 241 articles were identified before applying exclusion and inclusion criteria. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 18 was used for quality assessments. Subsequently, 17 studies were included, and the findings showed that female teachers working in risky areas in the South Africa face substantial challenges, including limited resources and constant exposure to violence, which impact their professional growth and job satisfaction. Despite this, teachers still show unwavering commitment to their students and profession. These findings highlight the need for government support and interventions that can ensure the safety of not only female teachers but also students and other members of the school community
Keywords: female teachers, risky environment, South Africa, education
Published in DiRROS: 30.07.2025; Views: 488; Downloads: 237
Full text (323,71 KB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic's school closures and the distance education that resulted from it, teachers were faced with an increasing workload and significant changes in their working environment. Because increased workload can result not only in worsened mental health and lower work motivation, but also in worsened learning outcomes, this article explores how teacher-perceived job demands, job resources, and personal resources are related to teachers' assessment of teaching quality and student engagement during the pandemic. Using the data of 1,422 8th grade teachers in Slovenia from the IEA Responses to Educational Disruptions Survey (REDS) survey, this study also explores the perceived level of support from different institutional actors and the utility of Job demands-resources model for this specific group of workers in a specific work setting. The results show that the teachers of 8th graders in Slovenia perceived a higher level of support from their closest working environment compared to the national bureaucracy. In terms of job demands, the increased workload in preparing the lessons had negative effect on both teaching quality and student engagement, while the reported increase in time spent on direct work with students and social support received (a job resource) contributed positively to both outcome variables. In line with theoretical expectations, personal resources were positive predictors of teaching quality and student engagement in our model. Compared with the initial expectations this study had based on the underlying theoretical model, the results paint a complex relationship between job characteristics and learning outcomes during distance learning. Thus, some of the challenges both teachers and policy-makers face and will continue to face in possible similar situations are discussed.
Keywords: job demands, job resources, teachers, teaching quality, student engagement, job demandsrResources model, covid-19
Published in DiRROS: 08.07.2025; Views: 422; Downloads: 277
Full text (856,56 KB)
This document has many files! More...

Abstract: The chapter identifies the biggest challenges facing the teaching profession nowadays, explaining how they relate to teachers’ well-being, teacher–student relationships, and positive educational student outcomes, along with the role of social and emotional competencies and diversity awareness in addressing them. We also shed light on the importance of strengthening teachers’ and students’ social and emotional competencies and diversity awareness based on the latest results of the Teaching and Learning International Survey and the Programme for International Student Assessment in countries participating in the HAND in HAND: Empowering Teachers Across Europe to Deal with Social, Emotional and Diversity-Related Career Challenges project (Austria, Croatia, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden), where we examine the extent to which certain aspects of social and emotional competencies and diversity awareness (i.e., teachers’ views on how society values their profession, satisfaction with the profession, teacher–student relationships, teachers’ stress, self-efficacy in multicultural environments, students’ sense of belonging at school, quality of teacher–student relationships, socio-emotional competencies) are supported in teachers’ and students’ reports. While the results vary widely between the mentioned countries, significant shortages are revealed in teachers’ and students’ social and emotional competencies and diversity awareness in all five education systems. The results thus support the notion that social and emotional competencies and diversity awareness should be systematically supported in education, and the implementation of HAND in HAND: Empowering Teachers Across Europe to Deal with Social, Emotional and Diversity-Related Career Challenges project and similar projects is extremely important for fostering students’ and teachers’ well-being and positive academic outcomes.
Keywords: education, teachers, teacher's competencies, challenges of teaching, SEDA competencies, programme for international student assessment, teaching and learning international survey
Published in DiRROS: 27.01.2025; Views: 740; Downloads: 395
Full text (4,42 MB)
This document has many files! More...