Balancing Work and Family Life: A Qualitative Study Examining the Lives of Teachers ELC 688 University of North Carolina Greensboro Ako Barnes, Bethany.

Ako Barnes, Bethany McKee-Alexander, Mary Julia Moore

& Susan Vanderburg

What we do not know:

Is there a spillover between teachers’ personal and professional lives?

How does this spillover impact how teachers experience stress?

Is it possible to have spillover without experiencing role conflict and feelings of guilt that often accompany those in the teaching profession (Guendouzi, 2006)?

In what ways does the school climate contribute to feelings of exhaustion, depersonalization and stress?

What we know:

Teachers enter profession with high expectations and then experience reality

Demands of everyday school life (accountability, paperwork, student behavior problems, lack of parental support) lead to stress, guilt, and feelings of burnout

Work and Home Spillover

How do teachers experience the phenomenon of balance between their personal and professional lives?

What are the current stressors in teachers’ lives? How do teachers cope with stress? What strategies

do teachers use to relieve/reduce stress?

▪ Gender differences?▪ First Career vs. Second Career teachers?▪ Married vs Single teachers?

Literature ReviewLiterature Review

Key Terms

Balance

“Satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home, with a minimum of role conflict” (Clark, 2000, p. 151).

Teachers often report difficulty in balancing their personal and professional lives (Burden 1982; Gu & Day, 2007)

Struggles in their personal lives often influenced their professional lives & vice versa

Spillover

“When experiences in the home or at work are brought by one individual into the other domain, affecting that individual’s performance of roles and experiences within the second domain” (Stevens, Kiger, & Riley 2006, pp. 426-427).

Can be positive or negative More likely under conditions

of stress & burnout (Appel & Kim-Appel, 2008)

Key Terms

Stress Physical, emotional, and mental reactions to certain

environmental stimuli (Brown & Nagel, 2004) Teachers see stress as the consequence of how well they

are able to meet the demands placed on them in their professional roles. (Wisniewski and Gargiulo, 1997)

When teachers view the demands of their job as outweighing their resources they report feelings of stress (O’Donnell et al. 2008).

Support and Coping Giving moral or psychological aid or

encouragement to others (Rodriguez & Cohen, 1998). Coping

the ability to adapt to stress (Compass, Connor-Smith, Saltzman, Thomsen, & Wadsworth, 2001).

School Pressures National Standards Lesson plans,

grading, etc. often taken home

Family Pressures Spouse Children Financial Difficulties

School Support Leadership Promotion Positive

experiences with Students

Family Support Loving Spouse

Factors that can lead to negative and positive spillover

(Gu & Day, 2007)

FOR WOMEN

Satisfaction with Work Job Flexibility Related Significantly

to perceptions of Spillover

FOR MEN

Job Characteristics were less relevant to their perceptions of Spillover

* For both men and women, their perception of the amount of work-family spillover of their partner was associated significantly with their own perceptions of family cohesion.

(Stevens, Kiger, & Riley, 2006)

Gender Difference

Literature suggests that mothers participating in the workforce often struggle with feelings of guilt because of inherent historically rooted values in the broader society.

“A good mother is a construct socially embedded within Western society and the image is typically further portrayed in the media with news media focusing on the negative effects of child care” (Guendouzi, 2006).

Whereas Western society views employment as a necessary condition for Fathers – in order to be a good father one must be an active participant in the workforce.

Literature suggests that, “when work is seen as interfering with the time and energy needed at home, working parents, especially working mothers, become dissatisfied with their jobs” (Grandey et al., 2005).

According to research, most employees expectations are based on a male model that presumes a nonworking spouse to manage a worker’s personal needs and children.

While both women and men must make personal adjustments to maintain their family responsibilities, research indicates that women spent more time conducting household chores and spend more time caring for children (Keene & Quadagno, 2004).

A study conducted by Novak and Thommason suggests that: accessibility (the well being of the child

depends on how accessible the mother is) happiness (happiness of the mother will affect

happiness of the child) separate spheres (mothers must be happy and

fulfilled to benefit their children) are the most dominate positions that arise when

women discuss motherhood (as cited in Guendouzi, 2006).

Stressors (elements that trigger feelings of Stress) include:▪ School climate: working relationships,

material resources, students’ behavior, and parent/community involvement

▪ Parent conflict, poor relationships with supervisors, student behavior, and self-efficacy

▪ Pre-service teachers were more concerned with meeting the needs of ALL students, working with nontraditional family units, and utilizing their instructional time effectively.

▪ Beginning teachers were stressed about the competitive pressure placed on them to be better than other districts, schools, or teachers

(Reig, Paquette, and Chen 2007) (Grayson & Alvarez, 2007)

Men and Women who are married with children reported lower levels of stress These individuals interacting with family

members have gained the skills to work through stressful problems that tend to cause stress.

These individuals use their family as a support system through stressful times.

(Greenglass & Burke, 1988)

Stress: Married vs Single

Grayson and Alvarez (2007) studied the elements of stress and what causes teachers to burnout. Nagel and Brown (2008) state that when teachers view stressors as unmanageable or overwhelming burnout occurs.

Three Levels of Burnout; from the MBI; Maslach Burnout Inventory (Greenglass Burk, 1988)

Stress & Gender

1. Emotional Exhaustion: “feeling emotionally overextended and drained by others” • More often reported by women across professions• Societal expectations impact the role of teacher and mother leading to greater amounts of Emotional Exhaustion.

2. Depersonalization: a disconnection from or aversion towards the people you are serving (i.e., students)• More often reported by men across professions (Grayson, Alvarez 2007 & Greenglass, Burk 1988)

3. Personal Accomplishment: lack of self-confidence and/or self-efficacy in one’s job

Respond to the symptoms Learn to delegate Develop a sense of humor Have a life outside school Be prepared for adversity Know your limitations Know when it’s time to quite Differentiate b/n success and obedience

Malikow, M. (2007); Nagy, M.L. (2006).

Coping Strategies

Bethany: a former music teacher and

now a full-time doctoral student

working on a full-time administrative

internship. Balancing my professional and

person roles, I certainly understand

the issues of spillover, stress, and the

importance of healthy coping strategies.

Susan: an assistant principal, a relatively new divorced mother of two college age students, a foster mom to a 7 year old, a doctoral student and squeezing in a part time job to make ends meet. It is a constant balancing act on a merry

go round that sometimes does not seem to slow down and makes me wonder how I can get everything accomplished when there are

only so many hours in a day.

Ako: Since my parents were educators and my

wife teaches, I feel sympathetic to those

teachers that do not feel the support needed to be successful in the

classroom. Also being a teacher of color working

with predominantly Causation teachers I am curious whether

they experience stress differently.

Mary Julia: the daughter and daughter-in-law of teachers. I teach undergraduates at UNCG and I see a clear distinction between teaching at the university level and teaching in a

primary or secondary school. It is not that one is better than the other. They are just different. I have book-knowledge of

what it means to be a teacher, I do not have first-hand knowledge of what it is like to really be a teacher.

“…one’s subjectivity is like a garment that

cannot be removed.” (Peshkin, 1988)

MethodologyMethodologya phenomenological study of spillover between the a phenomenological study of spillover between the

personal and professional lives of teacherspersonal and professional lives of teachers

Research setting and participants:Interviewer

InitialInterview #

Gender Ethnicity Age RelationshipStatus

Grade/Subject

Years Teaching

Recent Major Events

M 1 Female White 40 Married w/ 2 children 3rd 13 Difficult International Adoption; Mother-in-law’s Health

M 2 Female White 42 Married w/ 2 children Elementary/Special Needs

10 Breast Cancer, Husband unemployed, Husband back surgery, Death of her Father; Death of her mother-in-law; Selling their home due to Financial Hardship

M 3 Female White 35 Single 3rd 14 Blood Clot, Pulmonary Embolism

M 4 Female White 50 Single, Divorced x2 w/ 2 children

Elementary/Reading Teacher

28 Death of her Father; Death of her Grandmother

A 1 Male Black 41 Single Science 1 Death of cousin

A 2 Male White 63 Divorced Mathematics 14 No Crisis Event

A 3 Female Black 24 Single English 2 Birth of nephew

A 4 Female White 30 Married Social Studies 1 Husband stationed in Afghanistan

S 1 Male White 27 Single 8th SS 4 Moving from the North and teaching middle school for the first time

S 2 Female White 24 Single 8th Language 2 Buying a house, coaching cheerleading

S 3 Male White 35 Married 7th Language 14 Birth of first child, married couple working in same school

S 4 Female White 32 Married 6th Language 9 Birth of first child married couple working in same school

B 1 Male White 32 Married 5th 1 No Crisis Event

B 2 Female Black 24 Single 3rd 1 No Crisis Event

B 3 Male White 35 Single 4th 12 No Crisis Event

B 4 Female Black 35 Married w/2 children K 10 Recently lost great-grandmother, Mother elected as State Representative

Procedure for access•Requesting access from relevant school personnel•Explain the possible benefits/risks of participating

in study •Obtain consent via consent forms

Benefits Sharing

experience can validate

Therapeutic

Risk Increase Stress Fear of judgment Confidentiality How will their story

be used

Collection: In-depth interviews with a sample of 16 teachers.

Each researcher conducted 4 interviews. Each interview followed a similar structured format Interviews were Digitally-recorded and subsequently

transcribed and lasted between 35-55 minutes

Interview Guide: We asked questions relating to how teacher’s experience

spillover, balance, and stress in their personal and professional lives.

Sample Questions How does personal and professional life overlap/intertwine? What does stress mean to you? What are the current stressors in your life?

Data Collection

Data Analysis

Trustworthiness

Reviewed transcriptions for errors and omissions

Obtained feedback from participants on interview transcriptions and analysis

Researchers provided participants an explanation of research

Challenged each other to look beyond our own preconceived ideas during the analysis process

Analytical Process Brainstorming: Themes,

concepts, general impressions

Lists—Descriptive Themes—Relational Themes

Made Lists of common concepts

Discussed Descriptive Themes

Discussed Relational Themes

Talked about general questions (so what?)

Divide and conquer responsibilities

Data Description and AnalysisData Description and Analysis

Professional Personal

• Testing, Testing, Testing (EOG’s, & quarterly benchmarks)

• Parents of Students (Lack of support, General attitudes towards teachers)

• Student Behavior Problems• Lots of Grading, Lesson Plans,

Copying, Report Cards, Meetings, etc.

• Professional Development (ex: National Boards)

• Different philosophies of teaching compared to administrators

• Not enough time to get it all done (taking work home, working nights and weekends)

• Child Care• Emotional Needs of Teenagers• Sick Family Members (mother-in-law,

children, spouse) Re-organizing work schedule

• Family Tragedies: Recent Death (including a murder) of Family Members

• Major Personal Health Issues (cancer, diabetes, blood clot)

• International Adoption• Friends in Need – Finding time to help• Economic Hardship• Buying a Home• Trying to Sell Home• Family Responsibilities (caring for a nephew,

spending time with family watching games, going to family birthday parties etc.)

Family (13/16) Job (10/16)Faith/God (6/16)Friends (6/16) Time for self (2/16) Students Pets Education People

Making Good Choices Treating people right

Community Taking care of self Making a difference in

society Positive role model for

children Meeting goals Reading

Things that are important

Friends/ Community•Church Friends•Teachers as Mentors•Administrators•Parents of Students•Teacher Assistants•Student Teachers•Students•Teammates/Colleagues

Family•Parents•Husband•Children•Sister•Brother-in-law•In-laws•Nephew•Daughter•Wife

Family: parents, husband, wife Spiritual: prayer, church, counseling Food & Beverages: eating junk food, cooking, ”adult

juice” Music: listening to it, playing the guitar Exercise: walking, running, gym, rock climbing Media: television, movies, reading Shopping Vacations: Planning and doing Projects: knitting, crocheting, installing new floors Use of humor Crying Medication

Coping Mechanisms

Teaching is an all encompassing profession The demands of their professional lives often overlap and

spillover into their personal lives Personal lives and professional lives were intertwined Although sometimes the demands of their careers lead to

stress in their personal lives, for some teachers, they view the overlap to be a necessary and positive aspect of who they are as teachers and as individuals.

Three categories of spillover Taking work home Long hours at school Overlap of personal and professional lives

MAJOR THEME

Relational Themes

Difference in spillover; professional and personal

Married Teachers vs Single TeachersFirst vs Second Career teachersDefinition of stress as it relates to

perception of balance

Implications of Relational Themes

Spillover Circular relationship…stress leads spillover…spillover

reinforces stress AND spillover leads to stress—reciprocal relationship

Gender Differences Negating literature that stereotypes male vs. female

stress Different Circumstances cause Different Stress

Levels Married teachers seem less overwhelmed than single

teachers First and Second career teachers seem to handle or at

least perceive stress differently Definition of stress as it relates to perception of

balance.

Future Research

Is there a relationship between the effectiveness of the teacher and the teachers’ perception of balance?

Are there differences between reasons why individuals became teachers and how this motivation impacts their day-to-day perception of stress, balance, and spillover?

What is the long-term impact of stress on teachers?

What is the impact of stress on teacher turnover

What are the predictors of positive vs negative spillover?

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