Facilitators and Barriers to Special Education Teacher Well-Being

• In Event: Coping and Resilience in Educational Settings

Abstract

Special education teacher burnout and attrition impact school districts across the globe. Though the root causes of teacher stress and burnout have been explored extensively, few studies have considered positive indicators of teacher wellbeing and retention. This convergent mixed methods study explored aspects of teacher wellbeing at a secondary school serving students with learning disabilities and differences. Findings suggest that individual teacher wellbeing may be distinct from, but interact with, the wellbeing of a school system. Facilitators and barriers to wellbeing are discussed as well as implications for accurately capturing the wellness of individuals within a broader school community.

Authors

• Hallie Fox, The George Washington University

• Beth Tuckwiller, The George Washington University

• Heather Walter, George Mason University

• Elisabeth Kutscher, The George Washington University