Understanding Teacher Educators' Quality of Life: Insights from the PERMA Model

Abstract

Teacher Educators (TE) are a specific category of Higher Education (HE) academics whose primary responsibility is the preparation of Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) for the Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary, and Further Education and Training contexts. TEs navigate this important, multifaceted role in addition to growing work pressures and decreased resource allocations. Though these stressors often lead to burnout, negatively impacting TEs’ wellbeing, productivity, and career satisfaction, many persevere in this career despite these challenging experiences. This qualitative study employs the popular PERMA model (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) to explore the protective factors that support TEs’ mental health, wellbeing, and resilience. Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) was applied to a combination of open-ended survey responses (n = 154) and semi-structured interview (n = 14) data from Higher Education TEs in Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK). Participants reported that excessive relational demands and the undervaluation and under-recognition of accomplishments in promotion systems challenged their wellbeing. However, findings highlight how positive emotions, vocational workflow, social support, a sense of meaning/purpose, and professional accomplishment can support thriving in the workplace. Our sample further benefitted from general wellbeing practices (diet, exercise, mindfulness), professional collegiality, and boundary setting, which help maintain work–life balance. These findings suggest that HE institutions might consider PERMA-informed initiatives – such as wellbeing programmes, formal recognition of diverse work achievements, and flexible workload policies – to mitigate workplace stress and promote TE resilience. Promoting these factors may improve quality of life outcomes for TEs and enhance outcomes within initial teacher education.