Background
Research into the science of wellbeing is shifting from focusing on alleviating disorder to flourishing and positive wellbeing (Huppert, 2009). The present study investigated the inclusion of secondary (individual) level initiatives to provide teachers with stress management strategies for promoting wellbeing. Teacher stress and wellbeing are a vast issue that has implications for not only individual teachers and their families but the students in their care, the school culture, and the education profession. The findings reported are from one of the three studies included in a doctoral research project investigating integrated wellbeing for teachers.
Hypotheses/Research Questions
How does participating in a 6-week complementary intervention (wellbeing program) change attentional awareness, perceived stress, subjective wellbeing, job-affective wellbeing, burnout and salivary cortisol levels for early career teachers? How does the data generated through the participant reflections about their experience help explain the quantitative results?
Sample Characteristics and Sample Size
Early career teachers (N=24), female (n = 22), male (n=2), age M = 36.9.
Design
Convergent mixed-methods study design including self-report measures, biological measures (salivary cortisol) and participant reflections.
Results
The results indicated a statistically significant decrease in perceived stress (p = .001, effect size d = 0.82) and increases in attention awareness (p = .002, effect size d = -0.72) and subjective wellbeing (p = .006, d = ‑0.62). The salivary cortisol levels decreased from baseline to week 6 (waking p= .001, and resting p= .005) and the pre- and post-session salivary cortisol levels indicated an immediate decrease in cortisol for weeks 4 to 6. The weekly reflections provided contextual information surrounding the intervention.
Scientific Contribution
The results provided a greater understanding of the experiences of early-career teachers and add to the research surrounding teacher stress management and teacher wellbeing and the use of Complementary Interventions for educators.