Occupational stress and the change to the Portuguese Statute of the Teaching Career

Abstract

This study was carried out with 1162 teachers with the objective of analyzing their experiences of stress and burnout syndrome before and after the change to the Portuguese Statute of the Teaching Career. Two assessments were made at different moments, with the adoption of a transversal plan of data gathering (2004/2005, n= 689; 2008/2009, n= 473). The assessment protocol included measurements of the sources of stress and burnout. Results indicate that the experiences of stress and burnout increased between the two assessments. In 2008/2009 stress and burnout levels were higher in areas related to time pressure, excessive work, and bureaucratic and administrative work; inversely, there were reductions in areas related to the different capacities and motivations of the pupils. As to the prediction of burnout syndrome, there were no substantial changes in the predicting variables between the two moments. In synthesis, results indicate increases in the professional demands made of teachers, but it cannot be affirmed that these are due to the changes in the Statute of the Teaching Career, since no changes were observed in the stress associated to the teaching career.