Browsing by Author "Matsi, Anni"

Objectives. The aim of the study was to find out whether there are regional disparities in the occupational wellbeing within Finnish elementary school principals. Regional differences were examined at three different levels, by Regional State Administrative Agencies, by groups of municipalities and by province. The job demands and resources model was used as the theoretical framework of the study. In the light of previous research, principals' occupational wellbeing has a significant impact on the wellbeing of the work community and of the school, as well as on school’s development opportunities and learning outcomes. It has been noticed that principals' ability to cope at work has weakened, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Finland, the goal is balanced development between regions. Methods. The data was collected as part of the Principal's Barometer in the years 2019–2022. The participants (2019: N=297, 2020: N=241, 2021: N=315, 2022: N=365) were elementary school principals from all over Finland. Occupational wellbeing was measured in the questionnaire according to the model of job demands and resources with statements related to work engagement and work burnout. All statements were evaluated on a Likert scale. The data was analyzed using analyses of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA) to see if there are statistically significant differences in the mean values of the regions. Results and conclusions. The study did not reveal differences between regions in principals' occupational wellbeing. However it was found that elementary school principal’s occupational wellbeing decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recovery had not yet begun in the spring of 2022. It would therefore be important to consider how the job demands and resources of the principals' could be balanced and the occupational wellbeing get to a better level. Also with the help of research to monitor whether the principals are starting to recover from the exhaustion caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional research is also relevant, so that regional special features can be taken into account in social policy.