Browsing by Author "Mähönen, Suvi"

In this research the main target is to figure out, what kind of challenges the comprehensive school teachers are facing in their daily work of teaching physical education and are those notions of challenges similar or very different from each others. The study is interested to point out those mentally laden factors which have a great impact for teacher´s work satisfaction and stamina at their career path. This is qualitative research and as it´s character it aims to portray, analyse and interpret the mentally laden factors in teaching, how can they occur in different period of career. One objective is to develop resources to support teacher´s occupational wellbeing. This study is empiric and it has data-driven approach, where the information is collected from different levels of comprehensive school and it focuses to interpret the experiences of teachers in different environment. Research persons are either class teachers or Physical Education teachers, all with their own individual educational background. Important is to find out how those different teachers perceive the challenges at their work, how those challenges affect to teacher´s occupational wellbeing and which kind of strategies they have to cope with them. This survey was implemented as an inquiry with 34 respondents, 16 class teachers and 18 physical education teachers. The second data, which was used together with inquiry data was collected with theme interviews. 8 carefully selected teachers were participating in the interviews. Both data combined together was used to analyse the different kind of strategies of teachers to face the challenges or resolve the problems related to it. Inquiry data was used to analyse all challenge responses, where top-20 challenges of class teachers and physical education teachers were compiled into scales and both profession groups were compared in the synthesis of main challenges. Also frequencies of challenges were measured in inquiry and they were analyzed together with interview data of 8 self evaluated work satisfaction numbers. The results show that the challenges in both environment were all same, but with different order and importance. In Huberman (1992) career model which was used to classify respondents into smaller groups, the research results pointed out 2 risk groups in physical education career path: novice teachers in first 4 years of career and teachers in their 7.-18. years at work. Results can be used to develop and promote occupational well-beeing.