Teacher Demoralization, Disempowerment and School Administration

Bibliographic Data

ID15694648
AuthorsKwok Kuen Tsang (0000-0001-7238-9156, Saint Francis University, corresponding author), Dian Liu (0000-0003-3336-7506, University of Stavanger)
Year2016
Volume5
Issue2
Pages200-225
Publication date2016-06-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Research in Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2014-6418 • E-ISSN: 2014-6418
PublisherHipatia Press (PUBLISHER • ES)
DOI10.17583/qre.2016.1883
OpenAlexW2471358008
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited15

Teacher demoralization is a concept describing the negative emotional experiences affecting teachers’ well-being and quality of teaching. However, since the dominant discourse about teacher demoralization is influenced by psychological perspectives, especially the theory of burnout, most of effort to promote teachers’ well-being and quality of teaching reply on psychological approaches. Nevertheless, teacher demoralization is more socially constructed other than psychologically constructed. Thus, this study aims to identify the potential social causes instead of psychological roots of teacher demoralization. Using in-depth interview data, the study illustrates that school administration may, from teachers’ perspectives, structurally demoralize teachers by disempowering teachers to control over labor process of teaching and to appreciate the instructional values of work and working condition. Thus, school reformers are recommended to empower teachers to exercise control over labor process of teaching and to appreciate the instructional values of their work and working conditions

Administration (probate law · Burnout · Control (management · Management · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Process (computing · Quality (philosophy · School teachers · Work (physics · Clinical Psychology · Educational Environments and Student Outcomes · Psychology · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access