Teacher Professionalism and Well-Being: Strategies for Sustainable Development in Education
Teacher Professionalism and Well-Being: Strategies for Sustainable Development in Education

Author(s): Georgiana Dumitru
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Education, School education, Pedagogy
Published by: Editura Eikon
Keywords: teacher well-being; professionalism; sustainable education; mentoring; educational policy; burnout; professional development;
Summary/Abstract: Teacher professionalism and well-being are pivotal to the quality and sustainability of education systems. This mixed-methods study explores the relationship between teacher professionalism- conceptualized through human, social, and decisional capital-and teacher well- being, examined across physical, emotional, psychological, and professional dimensions. Quantitative data were collected from 350 Romanian public school teachers using a standardized questionnaire with Likert-scale items, and analyzed through correlational and regression techniques. The results reveal significant positive associations between social and decisional capital and various aspects of well-being. Complementary qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 20 teachers and analyzed thematically using an inductive approach. The narratives highlight emotional labor, institutional support, and professional identity as key themes. Findings suggest that fostering collegial support and professional autonomy is essential for enhancing teacher resilience and job satisfaction. Policy implications emphasize the need for integrated professional development strategies that embed well-being components. Limitations include the cross-sectional design and geographic specificity, pointing to future directions for longitudinal and cross-cultural research. This study contributes to the discourse on sustainable teacher development by underscoring the interdependent nature of professionalism and well-being.

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