Recovery in Teachers: Barriers, Facilitators and the Relationship to Physical Stress Symptoms

Previous research has shown that teachers are at risk of experiencing significant work-related stress. Recovery is seen as a way to unwind from work stress caused by a myriad of stressors. This study examines the mechanisms of teacher recovery and their relationship to physical stress symptoms. Fifty high school teachers were recruited to participate from schools in South Florida. Physical stress symptoms were measured using a self-report survey called the Physical Symptoms Inventory (PSI) , which took place directly after the open-ended question portion of the survey. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to assess any connection between the appearance of barrier and facilitator related words in the open-ended questions to the rating of physical symptoms. The analysis showed that facilitators did not significantly predict PSI scores (β = -.17, ns). However, barriers did significantly predict PSI scores (β = .49, p \u3c .001). Grounded theory was used alongside theoretical sampling to develop themes related to the barriers and facilitators of recovery from participant open-ended question answers. Data was analyzed and coded using constant comparison tactics. After data analysis, data showed that the most prevalent barriers described by teachers were workload, off-job workload, the constant need to plan, and constant rumination. These results can help pave the way for future research in this area, as well as the development of comprehensive intervention programs used to assist in promoting recovery in teachers