Australian teachers report significantly higher stress and wellbeing challenges compared to the national workforce norm, according to the findings of a new Deakin University study.
Burnout and stress are reported at higher levels among government primary and secondary school teachers compared to the general working population, the research found.
The newly released Australian Teacher Work, Health and Wellbeing Report is funded by Deakin’s Centre for Research for Educational Impact (REDI). It compared aspects of teachers’ work with Australia’s average working population.
Government schoolteachers surveyed, which included full-time, part-time and casual workers across early, mid and late career stages, report significantly higher levels of work-life conflict as their job demands bled more into their personal time.
The study focused on Australian government schools because they educate a larger share of the nation’s students with additional needs and from disadvantaged backgrounds. Government schools also operate with fewer resources and experience greater staffing pressure, the report noted.
Key findings*
- Government primary (67.2) and secondary (60.6) teachers reported higher average levels of burnout than the Australian working population average (47.6).
- Teachers in government schools also had elevated stress scores (primary: 55.1, secondary: 50.8) compared with other Australian workers (40.2).
- Average scores for job demands, including workload (primary: 58.5, secondary: 57.5, norm: 40.7), work pace (primary: 71.1, secondary: 69.0, norm: 57.0), emotional demands (primary: 61.3, secondary: 63.3, norm: 40.5), demands for hiding emotions (primary: 68.2, secondary: 70; national average: 61) and cognitive demands (primary: 75.3, secondary: 72.0, norm: 59.9), were significantly higher among government school teachers than the general workforce.
- Government schoolteachers reported significantly higher mean scores for being asked to perform tasks outside their core responsibilities (primary: 60.5, secondary: 62.2; national average: 47.2) and greater work-life conflict (primary: 59.8, secondary: 57.6; national average: 49.0)
- On a positive note, teachers in government schools reported higher mean scores for experiencing meaningful work (primary: 82.7, secondary: 77.8; national average: 65.8).
Investigation lead, Associate Professor Ben Arnold from Deakin’s School of Education, said the combined toll of emotional and workload pressures, and the fast-paced, cognitive nature of teachers’ jobs made the profession particularly draining.
‘Primary and secondary schoolteachers report significantly higher workloads, a faster work pace and greater cognitive and emotional demands than the general working population.
This is largely due to a mismatch between the work expected of them and the time available to complete it, combined with the inherently challenging nature of working in schools, especially in the government school sector where resources are stretched and students’ needs are more complex,’ Associate Professor Arnold said.
‘Teachers have their core work which includes planning and delivering lessons and marking assignments, but they also have other demands they must juggle.
Workload and emotional pressures add to teacher stress
Excessive paperwork, data reporting, engaging with parents and dealing with students’ personal issues are among the factors contributing to educator burnout.
‘These include emotionally supporting students and parents, managing the personal issues students bring into school, completing excessive paperwork and data reporting, engaging with parents, communicating with external supports such as psychologists and social workers, documenting student behaviour and attendance, undertaking compliance modules, and carrying out a multitude of other tasks. At the same time, teachers are expected to think critically and problem-solve continually throughout their day.
‘The findings are based on survey responses from 877 teachers across mainstream government primary, secondary and combined primary/ secondary schools in Australia.’
It is the first Australian study to combine detailed, validated measures of teachers’ work environment with direct comparisons to the broader workforce, offering unique insights into how teaching differs to other occupations.
The results were measured against the average workforce sentiments of 2446 working Australian adults across a broad spectrum of industries including retail, manufacturing, agriculture, mining healthcare, science, finance, transport and the media.
The report emphasises that teaching is a highly rewarding profession in which many educators derive profound meaning and purpose.
‘To protect teachers’ mental health and sustain the quality of education, we must improve work environments.’
Dr Mark Rahimi
Research Fellow, Deakin University
But Deakin co-researcher Dr Mark Rahimi said meaningful work alone could not safeguard wellbeing when teachers are confronted with overwhelming and unrealistic demands.
‘To protect teachers’ mental health and sustain the quality of education, we must improve work environments — reducing excessive admin, ensuring support for complex needs, setting realistic workloads, and giving teachers a genuine voice in shaping the policies that affect their work,’ Dr Rahimi said.
‘While many teachers find deep meaning and purpose in this work, this very sense of commitment can be a double-edged sword. It can drive them to go above and beyond even when demands are overwhelming and often unrealistic, ultimately putting their own wellbeing at risk.’
*NB. Mean scores are given on a 0-100 scale, not percentages.
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