When teachers find their work engaging and meaningful, experience joy at school, feel successful, and are able to maintain positive relationships, they are more effective in the classroom and are more likely to stay in the profession. These teachers can be described as flourishing. Situated in the field of positive organizational psychology, a new surge of research investigates individual attributes that impact employee flourishing. However, little research has been conducted to understand school-level factors that create the conditions for teacher flourishing. By employing a sequential, mixed-methods design, this project addresses this gap in the research. In the first phase, extant data from the 2016 Oregon TELL survey was used to quantitatively identify workplace factors that impact perceptions of teacher flourishing. In the second phase, focus groups with teachers from one district were conducted to understand factors that impact flourishing in that setting. In the third phase, data from these focus groups were linked with the TELL data to deepen understanding about how school-level factors impact individual perceptions of teacher flourishing in a specific setting. The results of this study will be used to inform district and state officials about the importance of implementing and supporting school structures that create the conditions for a flourishing school community.

This study aimed to translate the Norwegian teacher self-efficacy scale (NTSES; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2007) and explore its validity and factor structure in a sample of 256 Swedish teachers. The ties between teacher self-efficacy and teacher burnout and self-efficacy and teacher well-being were also investigated. The results showed that the Swedish version of the NTSES had good internal consistency and adequate concurrent and convergent validity. However, results from a confirmatory factor analysis and two exploratory factor analyses did not support a factor structure equivalent to the original NTSES. The Swedish version of the NTSES might need some adjustments in translation and even consideration regarding removal of some items before it can truly be of use in a Swedish context.

Teaching is considered one of the most challenging professions, often associated with high levels of occupational stress and job turnover that perpetuates additional negative outcomes including depleted funding for school districts, poor education quality, and reduced student academic performance. Research shows that teachers are an integral part of the classroom with the power to positively influence students’ perceived classroom support and emotional competence (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Positive psychology has facilitated school-based initiatives that foster feelings of subjective well-being (happiness) through the implementation of brief, scripted activities (i.e., Positive Psychology Interventions; PPIs) that reflect the thoughts and behaviors of happy people (Layous & Lyubomirsky, 2014). Studies have demonstrated the positive impact of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) for adults (Bolier et al., 2013) and youth including a multicomponent, multitarget PPI (i.e., Well-Being Promotion Program) that improves students’ well-being (Suldo et al., 2015). McCullough’s (2015) investigation of the efficacy of a strengths-based intervention (Utilizing Signature Strengths in New Ways) on elementary teachers’ well-being revealed promising effects on teacher reduced emotional distress, increased life and work satisfaction, and SWB. This study examined the additive impact of teachers’ participation in the brief strengths-based teacher intervention (SBTI) on elementary students’ social and emotional outcomes, as reflected in levels of SWB, psychopathology, as well as classroom engagement and relationships among teachers and students. Concurrently, these elementary students took part in a Classwide Well-Being Promotion Program, a 10-week intervention targeting a variety of positive psychological constructs (i.e., positive relationships, gratitude, kindness, character strengths, hope) with additional parent and teacher components. A total of 7 classes (4 fifth grade; 3 fourth grade) within one large elementary school received the classwide, multicomponent student intervention in spring 2016, while 3 teachers were randomly assigned to participate in the SBTI concurrently. Follow-up analyses examined group differences on the variables of interest for the combined intervention (WBPP + SBTI) group, relative to classes of students engaged in the classwide-only intervention (WBPP). At immediate post-intervention, results revealed that classes of students participating in the combined intervention group did not demonstrate significantly improved student-reported life satisfaction, positive or negative affect, classmate or teacher support, emotional or behavioral engagement, nor teacher-reported relationship satisfaction, instrumental help, and emotional or behavioral engagement relative to the classwide-only intervention group. Additionally, students in classes within the combined approach reported statistically higher levels of negative affect and reduced levels of perceived teacher support relative to a classwide-only intervention group at immediate post-intervention, although the unexpected impact on negative affect appeared driven by data from students in the class led by a teacher with questionable fidelity of intervention implementation. Results of this study do not provide support that targeting teachers’ well-being through the SBTI may promote superior student outcomes for students concurrently engaged in the WBPP. Nonetheless, high levels of treatment acceptability reported by teachers and students participating in the combined intervention, as well as limitations to the study design, justify further investigation on the impact of targeting both teacher and student well-being in the context of positive psychological practices.

Historically, American schools have reflected the larger societal structures. When crises occur across the nation, they seep into the classroom and impact the educational experiences of students. Scholars and social advocates have worked across professional arenas throughout history to reduce the injustices embedded in schools. Ongoing discussion and debate about educational equity in schools highlights the importance of an educational system that works for all learners. In more contemporary times, American schools are experiencing overlapping crises. These crises consist of the teacher well-being crisis, the school discipline crisis, and the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the proposed study is to examine the intersection of these three crises by exploring the relationship between teacher early childhood well-being and equitable educational practices in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilizes a convergent design that includes both quantitative and qualitative data gathered sequentially. The quantitative data examined the association between early childhood teachers' feelings of efficacy in culturally responsive instruction and their emotional state as it relates to their profession. The qualitative data explored how early childhood teachers make sense of culturally responsive teaching and classroom management. The two forms of data were combined to better understand the three current crises impacting schools. Participants in the survey data collection included a total of 88 early childhood teachers (pre-kindergarten through third grade) working during the 2020-2021 academic school year. Qualitative interview data were gathered from a subsample of those early childhood teachers (n=11) via phone interviews. Qualitative findings revealed that teachers generally had a superficial understanding of culturally responsive teaching and culturally responsive classroom management (CRT-CRCM), although some expressed a desire to learn more. Quantitative results indicated that teachers' self-reported beliefs and ability in CRT-CRCM did not relate to their self-reported well-being. However, access to professional development was associated with well-being, suggesting a potential mechanism for cultivating greater CRT-CRCM skills in teachers while also supporting their well-being. I intend for the results of this study to contribute to the nascent literature regarding the needs of our nation’s teachers during this unprecedented time. / School Psychology

The COVID-19 pandemic placed greater demands on school leaders and caused ongoing disruption to teaching and learning. Faced with unprecedented challenges, school leaders have made critical changes in how they lead their school communities (Brinkmann et al., 2021). The study aimed to investigate the perceptions of elementary teachers within the United States concerning the identified leadership practices needed to cultivate teacher well-being before and during the global pandemic. A literature review revealed the commonalities in what highly effective principals do and their impact on student achievement (Grissom et al., 2021a). Researchers synthesized five practices of effective principals: instructional-focused interactions, building and fostering a productive school climate, facilitating collaboration, strategic management, and leading for equity (Grissom et al., 2021b). The study involved interviewing twelve elementary teachers' working in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. The interview questions investigated the perceived leadership practices implemented by principals to foster teacher well-being before and during the pandemic. The research questions were as follows: (1) What leadership practices of elementary school principals do teachers perceive have positively impacted teacher well-being prior to the COVID-19 pandemic? (2) What leadership practices of elementary school principals do teachers perceive fostered teacher well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic? The outcomes of the study offered awareness of elementary teachers' perceptions of school leadership practices that cultivated teacher well-being before and during the global pandemic. / Doctor of Education / The COVID-19 pandemic caused many school districts to make rapid changes with little communication with teachers regarding instructional expectations. Educators faced unprecedented challenges, including shifting from in-person teaching to virtual learning and the uncertainty about their health and safety. The focus of research for this study included elementary teachers who taught for three or more years within the United States and during the pandemic. The qualitative study determined what twelve elementary school teachers perceived as the most effective leadership practices in cultivating teacher well-being during a global pandemic. This insight may be invaluable to a school leader's approach to leading teachers through a crisis. The study involved interviewing twelve elementary teachers from working in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. The interview questions probed teacher perceptions and identified leadership practices that cultivate teacher well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher identified five findings and four implications. The small sample size limited this study. Ensuring that teachers work is valued, their voices heard, and facilitating meaningful professional development are necessary to cultivate teacher well-being before and build a sustainable education system. Suggestions for future research include investigating the impact to teacher well-being over the course of a school year through interviews with building leaders and the teachers they serve and investigating teacher well-being and its impact on teacher retention and burnout.

Teaching is considered to be one of the most highly demanding professions, and one that is associated with high levels of stress and sometimes deleterious outcomes. Although research demonstrates that burnout and attrition are often associated with specific characteristics of the occupation (e.g., challenging workload, standardized testing, merit-based salary) minimal research focuses on how to better support teachers’ well-being. The field of positive psychology affords a new perspective in how to obtain quality mental health without solely focusing on psychopathology within a deficits-based approach. This includes the implementation of interventions (i.e., positive psychology interventions [PPI]) that target constructs of well-being (e.g., character strengths, hope, optimism, gratitude, etc.) and are associated with positive changes in authentic happiness. This study examined how a strength-based, PPI entitled Utilizing Signature Strengths in a New Way (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005) impacts dimensions of teacher well-being, as well as other relevant outcomes (i.e., flourishing, burnout) within the school context. Previous research has shown that strengths-based intervention to be the PPI with the most substantial impact and the longest lasting outcomes (Seligman et al., 2005). Utilizing a concurrent multiple baseline single-case design with eight teachers, the study evaluated the effects of the strengths-based PPI on teacher’s overall happiness (i.e., subjective well-being) as indicated by self-report measures of life satisfaction and positive and negative affect. The teachers exhibited significant gains in life satisfaction and reductions in negative affect from pre- to post-intervention that were also evident one month following the intervention. Although positive affect did not significantly change from pre- to post-intervention, a significant gain was apparent at one-month follow-up. Single-case analytic strategies (i.e., visual analysis, masked visual analysis, and hierarchical linear modeling) found that the intervention positively impacted teachers’ overall subjective well-being (composite of standardized life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect scores). Results for single indicators of subjective well-being found variability in basic effects among different individuals (i.e., some teachers benefited more than others) further supporting the theory of person-activity fit. Regarding the intervention’s effects on secondary outcomes that were examined only at pre, post, and one-month follow-up time points, findings indicated the teachers experienced a significant increase in work satisfaction immediately following the intervention, as well as a significant increase in feelings of flourishing at follow-up. Significant decreases in negative dimensions of teachers’ mental health including stress and burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion) were also demonstrated. Findings from the current study provide initial support for the efficacy of a teacher-focused, strengths-based intervention and its ability to improve multiple components of teacher well-being within an elementary school. Implications for school psychologists and policy, contributions to the literature, and future directions are discussed.

Mentoring, coaching, and teacher induction programs continue to gain traction in school jurisdictions across Canada and internationally in an effort to address teacher attrition, support professional growth, and improve teaching and learning. Conceptualized as a patchwork quilt, this thesis by article reports on a qualitative case study that examined the Teacher Induction Program (TIP) implemented in 2009 in the Western Québec School Board (WQSB). Each manuscript or fabric block highlights a different component of the TIP that when stitched together reveals an emerging pattern of how professional learning and development, mentoring and coaching, and teacher evaluation is understood in the school district. Anchored within a social learning theoretical framework, this study asked two guiding questions: 1) What is the influence of the mentor–coach role on experienced teachers’ professional learning, practice, and well-being? And 2) How do the WQSB stakeholders perceive the impact of the TIP? Using a single case study design, data were collected from a variety of sources and stakeholder perspectives, including documents, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. Using the Framework Method, data were abductively analyzed with and against the study’s theoretical and conceptual frameworks. The study’s findings indicate that the mentor–coach role has powerful potential to not only support experienced teachers’ practice-based professional learning, but also to cultivate their sense of well-being and flourishing in schools. However, tensions emerged around how different stakeholders perceived the TIP’s impact in the school district. In particular, further attention is required to clarify the purpose and process of mentoring and coaching as well as the role of teacher evaluation within teacher induction. Ultimately, this study highlights the important role an effective mentoring and coaching fellowship can play in supporting veteran teacher professional learning, practice and well-being, which then has the potential to cultivate positive transformational change in a school district.