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What drives teacher engagement: a study of different age cohorts

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Abstract

Despite the growing body of research on work engagement, little is known about what drives work engagement among different age cohorts. This study aims to investigate whether engagement varies across age cohorts and examine the job resources that foster teacher engagement. A questionnaire was distributed to 537 teachers who were employed in elementary, lower and upper secondary school. Findings show that work engagement did indeed vary across the diverse age group and is influenced by different resources. In line with previous studies, data revealed that the engagement of younger teachers is driven by the opportunity for development and interaction with colleagues, while older employees appreciate the opportunity to see their competencies acknowledged. What is most noteworthy is the opportunity to design practices and to provide every age group with the appropriate set of motivators.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Filippo Re 6, 40127, Bologna, Italy

    Dina Guglielmi

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127, Bologna, Italy

    Ilaria Bruni & Marco Depolo

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milan, Italy

    Silvia Simbula

  4. Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 84, Rovereto, 38068, Trento, Italy

    Franco Fraccaroli

Authors
  1. Dina Guglielmi
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  2. Ilaria Bruni
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  3. Silvia Simbula
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  4. Franco Fraccaroli
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  5. Marco Depolo
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Correspondence to Dina Guglielmi.

Additional information

Dina Guglielmi. Department of Educational Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Filippo Re 6, 40127 Bologna, Italy.

Current themes of research:Advanced work psychology and quality of working life. Vocational choice transition to retirement, job stress and quality of working life.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Guglielmi, D., Panari, C., & Simbula, S. (2012). The determinants of teachers’ well-being: the mediating role of mental fatigue. European Journal Of Mental Health, 7(2), 204–220. doi:10.5708/EJMH.7.2012.2.3

Simbula, S., Guglielmi, D., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2011). A three-wave study of job resources, self-efficacy, and work engagement among Italian schoolteachers. European Journal Of Work And Organizational Psychology, 20(3), 285–304. doi:10.1080/13594320903513916

Simbula, S., & Guglielmi, D. (2010). Depersonalization or cynicism, efficacy or inefficacy: what are the dimensions of teacher burnout?. European Journal Of Psychology Of Education, 25(3), 301–314. doi:10.1007/s10212-010-0017-6

Ilaria Bruni. Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127 Bologna, Italy.

Current themes of research:Older workers career management, retirement and well-being at work.

Silvia Simbula. Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milan, Italy.

Current themes of research: Organisational communication. Job stress, burnout, work engagement and quality of working life.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Simbula, S., Guglielmi, D., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2011). A three-wave study of job resources, self-efficacy, and work engagement among Italian schoolteachers. European Journal Of Work And Organizational Psychology, 20(3), 285–304. doi:10.1080/13594320903513916

Simbula, S., & Guglielmi, D. (2010). Depersonalization or cynicism, efficacy or inefficacy: what are the dimensions of teacher burnout?. European Journal Of Psychology Of Education, 25(3), 301–314. doi:10.1007/s10212-010-0017-6

Simbula, S. (2010). Daily fluctuations in teachers’ well-being: a diary study using the Job Demands–Resources model. Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal, 23(5), 563–584. doi:10.1080/10615801003728273

Franco Fraccaroli. Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 84, Rovereto, 38068 Trento, Italy.

Current themes of research: Aging and late career in organizations, work stress and psychological risks in the workplace. Work and Organizational Psychology.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Avanzi, L., Miglioretti, M., Velasco, V., Balducci, C., Vecchio, L., Fraccaroli, F., & Skaalvik, E. M. (2013). Cross-validation of the Norwegian Teacher’s Self-Efficacy Scale (NTSES). Teaching And Teacher Education, 3169–78. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2013.01.002

Corbière, M., Fraccaroli, F., Mbekou, V., & Perron, J. (2006). Academic self-concept and academic interest measurement: a multi-sample European study. European Journal Of Psychology Of Education, 21(1), 3–15. doi:10.1007/BF03173566

Marco Depolo. Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127 Bologna, Italy.

Current themes of research: Organizational psychology. Work socialisation, transition to retirement, job stress and quality of working life.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Simbula S., Guglielmi D., Schaufeli W., Depolo M. (2013). An Italian validation of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale: Characterization of engaged groups in a sample of schoolteachers, «BOLLETTINO DI PSICOLOGIA APPLICATA», 2013, 268, pp. 53--64.

Guglielmi D., Paplomatas A., Simbula S., Depolo M. (2011). Prevenzione dello stress lavoro correlato: validazione di uno strumento per la valutazione dei rischi psicosociali nella scuola, «PSICOLOGIA DELLA SALUTE», 3, pp. 53--74

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Guglielmi, D., Bruni, I., Simbula, S. et al. What drives teacher engagement: a study of different age cohorts. Eur J Psychol Educ 31, 323–340 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-015-0263-8

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