Browsing by Subject "vaikutusmahdollisuudet"

Objectives. It is important to identify the factors behind stress at work, because stress can impair health and job performance. Based on previous studies, there may be a wide range of factors behind stress such as job demands, interpretation of situations and job autonomy. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between cognitive demands, autonomy and stress in teaching. Methods. The data was gathered by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health’s Brain Work Survey. Participants (n = 424) worked in a teaching organization. The survey assessed the prevalence of cognitive demands at a weekly level, as well as the perceived load and perceived inspiring cognitive demands. Autonomy was assessed by exploring the opportunities participants have for influencing factors relevant to the performance of their work. The perceived stress was assessed on a numerical scale from zero to ten. Hierarchical regression analysis was used for the statistical analysis of the data. Results and conclusions. Cognitive demands and autonomy were associated with stress. Higher amount of instruction problems and perceived cognitive load were associated to higher perceived stress. The more autonomy there was at work, the less stress was experienced. However, the explanation rate of autonomy was closely related to cognitive demands. The results can be utilized in developing work as favourable for health and performance as possible.