تعهد حرفه ای و بهداشتی در میان معلمان در آلمان: یک رویکرد سنخ شناختی

The interplay of occupational engagement and individual coping capacity is very important. A methodological tool that provides the means for such an analysis which includes psychological aspects of the health is the “Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster” questionnaire (AVEM: Pattern of Work-related Coping Behavior). This assessment instrument allows for a subscale-level evaluation as well as differentiation between four types of work-related coping behaviours that have been obtained by cluster analysis. Comprehensive analyses involving 7693 teachers have established the health relevance of this cluster differentiation.

Teaching is a challenging and, therefore, often stressful job. Undoubtedly, teachers face great demands on their energy and personal skills (Montgomery and Rupp, 2005, Schaarschmidt, 2005 and Vandenberghe and Huberman, 1999). Sometimes this is more than a person with few coping resources can handle. In Germany, the situation has become critical over the last years, with alarming numbers of teachers taking disability leave or early retirement as a result of stress-related conditions (Weber, 2003 and Weber, 2004). According to statistics from 2001, 72% of German teachers left the profession before reaching the regular retirement age (compared with 41% for other officials in the public service; Bundesinnenministerium, 2001). Very often in Germany, and more than in other occupations, teachers are treated for psychosomatic conditions (Hillert & Schmitz, 2004), with teachers complaining about a constant increase in their workload coupled with declining working conditions, particularly from problems with students' behaviours and decreasing assistance in schools. It is therefore essential to enhance psychological health among teachers.