Nwoko, Joy C., Anderson, Emma, Adegboye, Oyelola A., Malau-Aduli, Aduli E.O., and Malau-Aduli, Bunmi S. (2024) “SHIELDing” Our Educators: Comprehensive Coping Strategies for Teacher Occupational Well-Being. Behavioral Sciences, 14. 918.

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Abstract

Background: Teaching is a physically and mentally challenging profession that demands high emotional involvement, often leading to stress and anxiety. Understanding how teachers cope with these demands is essential for enhancing their well-being and effectiveness. Objectives: This study aimed to (1) investigate personal and school-based well-being initiatives that teachers use for maintaining their occupational well-being, and (2) develop a coping strategy model that enhances teachers’ occupational well-being. Methods: This study utilised a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the coping strategies of Australian primary school teachers. Results: The twenty-one participants interviewed employed ten diverse coping strategies classified into five personal and five school-based well-being-enabling initiatives. The personal strategies included setting boundaries, exercise and physical health, social support and interactions, mental health and mindfulness, and work–life balance. The school-based initiatives comprised supportive leadership, colleague support, flexibility and autonomy, resource availability, and proactive approaches to address challenges. A novel SHIELD model incorporating Support, Health, Interaction, Empathy, Leadership, and Development strategies was formulated as a holistic coping strategy for enhancing teachers’ occupational well-being. Conclusions: The findings highlight the necessity of a holistic approach to teacher well-being, integrating both personal and institutional support systems. Schools can enhance teacher well-being by fostering a supportive and empathetic culture, providing necessary resources, and encouraging healthy lifestyles. The SHIELD model offers a comprehensive framework for supporting teachers and improving educational outcomes.

Item ID:	85471
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2076-328X
Copyright Information:	© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Date Deposited:	14 May 2025 00:01
FoR Codes:	42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4202 Epidemiology > 420209 Occupational epidemiology @ 100%
SEO Codes:	20 HEALTH > 2005 Specific population health (excl. Indigenous health) > 200507 Occupational health @ 100%
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