SCHOOLTEACHERS’ PERSONAL- PROFESSIONAL HEALTH-PROTECTING FACTORS

Abstract

Aim: To identify personal-professional factors that can potentially contribute to protection of schoolteachers’ health. Materials and methods: The study involved 188 primary and secondary school teachers from three regions of Ukraine. Data collection tools included the Giessen Subjective Complaints List, the Personal Orientation Inventory, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, Zamfir’s technique “The Motivation for Professional Activities”, the Ilyin’s questionnaire identifying satisfaction with a profession and a job, and the Professional Self-Fulfilment Questionnaire. Results: The obtained data showed that 9 out of 10 personal-professional variables used in the study significantly impacted schoolteachers’ health. Of these, 8 variables had a positive effect, preventing the appearance of physical complaints in schoolteachers. The most significant indicators were professional self-fulfilment indicators such as internal professional self-fulfilment (explaining 14.8% of the variation of physical complaints) and overall professional self-fulfilment (14.4%); self-efficacy (explaining 9.8%) and external professional self-fulfilment (9.4%). Four more indicators – time competence, satisfaction with a profession and a job, inner directed supports and internal motivation – explained schoolteachers’ physical complaints in 4.1–8.8% limits. External negative motivation had a negative influence on schoolteachers’ health. Conclusions: The study confirms the hypothesis that it is possible to identify several personal-professional factors that potentially could contribute to protection of schoolteachers’ health.