Inclusion-related demands in relation to personal and occupational resources

Abstract

With the introduction of inclusive schools, the professional activities of teachers change. Due to more heterogeneous learning groups, teachers work more often in multi-professional teams, create inclusive teaching-learning processes and diagnose special educational needs. Teachers need resources in order to cope with the demands of inclusion. Initial research in the context of school inclusion shows that personal resources, such as self-efficacy, and professional resources, such as staff-oriented support from school management or a shared school ethos, could be particularly helpful in dealing with inclusion-related demands. The present study was conducted with N = 6712 teachers. Taking into account the theoretical assumptions of the Job Demands-Resources Model, the study analyses the interaction between demands, resources, strain, and engagement in an initial approach using selected examples of inclusion-related activities. The results show that all resources correlate positively with job satisfaction and that, in addition, self-efficacy has a weak buffering effect on demand-induced strain.