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Abstract

Work-life balance is deemed essential in staff effectiveness and satisfaction according to research literature. If an individual can attain balance between professional work and personal work, they may be able to reduce friction in those domains. There are numerous factors that could impact a teacher’s work-life balance and well-being. Hence, the purpose of this dissertation is to explore the common themes associated with work-life balance and well-being. Work-life balance is one of the biggest factors in teachers wanting to leave the profession and the pandemic has exacerbated this issue, blurring the lines between life and work (Robinson et al., 2022). There appears to be a lack of qualitative research regarding work-life balance within primary education, therefore, interviews were conducted with nine members of staff from a single-form entry primary school. A detailed literature review and the participants’ valuable contributions to the study have given insight into teacher perspectives of workload and well-being in the education sector. From analysing the findings, there are three prevalent themes associated with the issue which link to the research aims of this study; current level of workload in the teaching profession, occupational well-being and work-life conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative data provides new information which creates a better understanding of the issue. The findings also highlight a variety of cultural and political issues within the education system which contribute to the current level of teacher workload and well-being. The use of contemporary literature and interviews with teachers reveal the importance for staff to attain a work-life balance within the education sector.

Course: Education Studies - MA - P2587FTC

Date Deposited: 2023-03-22

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14108.html