Aggravating factors in teachers’ work and fatigue

Abstract

Background: Teachers are a occupational group in which, due to the type and specificity of work, it can be expected that the feeling of fatigue will be very intense. However, there has been little research into this problem. The aim of the research was to assess the level of fatigue after work and chronic fatigue in teachers, and to determine whether and to what extent it depends on occupational and non-occupational loads. Material and Methods: The stratified sampling model was used to select the sample, where the layers were the type of school and its location (size of a town/city). All teachers from selected schools were invited to participate. Ove-rall, 650 questionnaires were distributed and 403 teachers returned completed questionnaires. Fatigue after work was assessed on the basis of answers to the following question: “Do you feel tired after work?” and chronic fatigue using the Fatigue Assessment Scale. A special questionnaire was developed to assess other factors that might affect the level of fatigue. The Subjective Stress Assessment at Work Questionnaire, Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale, a part of the Questionnaire of Professional Loads of the Teacher and a list of ad-ditional factors disturbing the work were used. Results: The study involved 70 men aged 35–63 years and 333 women (24–64 years). The groups did not differ significantly in terms of mean age. The level of fatigue, regardless of gender, was mostly influenced by time pressure, rush, mismanagement of the pace of work to individual abilities, increasing workload, an excess of responsible tasks, a lack of support from superiors, a low prestige of the profession, a lack of pedagogical successes, a sense of the lack of meaning in work, and the negative impact of work on family life, as well as non-occupational loads and insufficient rest. Conclusions: The conducted study allowed for determining the profile and frequency of occupational and non-occupational factors affecting the level of fatigue in teachers. Med Pr. 2021;72(3):283–303.