What are teachers unhappy about? Factors of professional dissatisfaction of Portuguese teachers

Dados Bibliográficos

ID22414993
AutoresOrlanda Tavares (0000-0002-8750-2032, University of Minho, autor correspondente), Eva Lopes Fernandes (0000-0002-3838-9846, University of Minho), Diana Pereira (0000-0003-4821-5935, University of Minho), Maria Assunção Flores (0000-0002-4698-7483, University of Minho)
Ano2026
Páginas1-20
Data de publicação2026-07-16
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoOxford Review of Education (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0305-4985 • E-ISSN: 1465-3915
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03054985.2026.2699240
OpenAlexW7168702034
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas46

Teacher dissatisfaction is a growing concern with significant implications for the sustainability of education systems. This paper examines the factors contributing to professional dissatisfaction among Portuguese teachers, drawing on data from 17 focus groups with 97 teachers from state schools across mainland Portugal. Using qualitative content analysis, four interrelated domains were identified: profession-related, structural, organisational, and curricular-pedagogical factors. Among the most prominent were weak collegial collaboration, parental pressure, emotional exhaustion, inadequate infrastructure, excessive bureaucracy, and an exam-oriented curriculum. Most factors were experienced as external to teachers’ control, reflecting broader systemic pressures. The findings suggest that dissatisfaction should be understood as a collective response to the erosion of professional meaning, autonomy and identity, amplified but not fundamentally altered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Autonomy · Focus group · Mainland · Mainland China · Portuguese · Professional development · Qualitative research · Semi-structured interview · Early Childhood Education and Development · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies · Teacher Professional Development and Motivation