Teachers 'left stressed by unrealistic targets'

A study by researchers at Kent University reveals that teachers who feel that other people demand more than they are capable of giving had higher stress levels, and were more at risk of stress-related illnesses and burnout.

But teachers who set high standards for themselves were more likely to feel mentally energetic and emotionally invested in their work.

The study, conducted in association with the Teacher Support Network, questioned 197 teachers twice over three months. The findings show that teachers should be setting standards for themselves, rather than having them imposed by managers, if they want to avoid stress.

Teachers whose goal was to outperform their colleagues had higher levels of stress, the report concludes, while those who planned to advance their own professional development had higher levels of mental energy.

Teachers at the highest risk of stress and burnout were those who had been in their current job for a long time, felt that others demanded more of them than they were capable of giving and compared their performance with that of their colleagues.

Report author Julian Childs said: "Teachers who thought other people wanted them to be perfect had high burnout and low well-being whether they were highly stressed or not."

He added: "Teachers need to discuss clear and achievable work goals with their managers.

"Managers then need to make sure teachers have the resources to achieve these goals.

"Teachers pass their goals on to students – a teacher focused on learning and developing their skills will foster the same goal in their students."