ERIC Number: EJ1167869
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Jun
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1045-3830
EISSN: N/A
Assessing Teachers' Positive Psychological Functioning at Work: Development and Validation of the Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire
Renshaw, Tyler L.; Long, Anna C. J.; Cook, Clayton R.
School Psychology Quarterly, v30 n2 p289-306 Jun 2015
This study reports on the initial development and validation of the Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (TSWQ) with 2 samples of educators--a general sample of 185 elementary and middle school teachers, and a target sample of 21 elementary school teachers experiencing classroom management challenges. The TSWQ is an 8-item self-report instrument for assessing teachers' subjective wellbeing, which is operationalized via subscales measuring school connectedness and teaching efficacy. The conceptualization and development processes underlying the TSWQ are described, and results from a series of preliminary psychometric and exploratory analyses are reported to establish initial construct validity. Findings indicated that the TSWQ was characterized by 2 conceptually sound latent factors, that both subscales and the composite scale demonstrated strong internal consistency, and that all scales demonstrated convergent validity with self-reported school supports and divergent validity with self-reported stress and emotional burnout. Furthermore, results indicated that TSWQ scores did not differ according to teachers' school level (i.e., elementary vs. middle), but that they did differ according to unique school environment (e.g., 1 middle school vs. another middle school) and teacher stressors (i.e., general teachers vs. teachers experiencing classroom management challenges). Results also indicated that, for teachers experiencing classroom challenges, the TSWQ had strong short-term predictive validity for psychological distress, accounting for approximately half of the variance in teacher stress and emotional burnout. Implications for theory, research, and the practice of school psychology are discussed.
Descriptors: Well Being, Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, Classroom Techniques, Teacher Effectiveness, Teacher Burnout, Psychometrics, Construct Validity, Stress Variables, Predictive Validity, Emotional Disturbances, Mental Health, Work Environment, Measures (Individuals), Correlation, Multivariate Analysis
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A