Factors related to help-seeking among elementary school teachers in Japan

Abstract

The present study examined factors that may affect elementary school teachers' help-seeking in the workplace, focusing on help-seeking preference as an individual attitude for help-seeking, inner attribution by the self and prediction of inner attributions by others as situational cognitive factors, and collaborative climate as an environmental factor. Effects of each variable on help-seeking intention was examined for different kinds of problems (school-related, poor academic performance, and class management) and helpers (colleagues and managers). Japanese elementary school teachers (TV = 176) completed a questionnaire after reading scenarios. The results from structural equation modeling analysis showed that, in all the scenarios, collaborative climate positively affected help-seeking intention, mediating positive attitude, which was an sub-concept of help-seeking preference. These results suggest that a collaborative climate is an important factor for promoting teachers' help-seeking in the workplace.