Well being of teachers and educators – Satisfaction factors and applicable methods for maintaining and increasing the well-being of employees in social-pedagogical education and teaching for staff retention and recruitment Erasmus Project

Project Title

Well being of teachers and educators – Satisfaction factors and applicable methods for maintaining and increasing the well-being of employees in social-pedagogical education and teaching for staff retention and recruitment

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Health and wellbeing; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development)

Project Summary

Our project, or the idea of ​​”well-being of teachers and educators …” (WINTER) was created during the review and evaluation of the interviews for our Erasmus + predecessor project YOMAI. In this predecessor project, we looked at how (young) men can be won over to a pedagogical profession with the target-clientele children aged 0 to 10 years. A “side result” of these discussions was, that a subjective increased level of stress is recognizable in all partner institutions and in the facilities, we visited. These “levels of stress” mean, that employees write sick leave, do not decide to stay in the institution after an internship, that dissatisfaction is reflected directly in the educational work with the children and other target-clientele. In addition, we have seen, that men in the educational teams lead to more balance, less sick days, longer stays in the institution.
However, we did not collect these findings or impressions quantitatively or qualitatively, not even representatively. In the composition of the project group YOMAI, and subsequently also for WINTER, we have selected countries, that are not close together in the Europe-wide educational survey (PISA). So we came to the conclusion, that in the Scandinavian countries there may be better methods or circumstances that, despite the high stress levels, lead to more satisfaction in the pedagogical workplace. With the project WINTER we want to explore with the partners, which satisfaction factors are present, we want to ask in partner institutions, what employees need, in order to gain more satisfaction in the occupation. The aim of the project is to collect and try different methods – best-practice! In terms of a portfolio, we want to share our findings via an Instagram-Account in a timely manner.
We hope for so many followers from professional circles – but also beyond, who pick up on our findings. The feedback function of this medium makes it possible to open up further options for improving the satisfaction of a wider public. Since we only want to work resource-oriented, we present the pedagogical fields of work in a positive way. One desired effect of this approach is, that the pedagogical work appears desirable, interested followers outside of the educational profession decide on this profession. Working with an Instagram-Account requires rules, especially when multiple people and institutions are involved in the operation. These rules are created participatively at the beginning of the project. The forms of representation must be tested, discussed and practiced. The final care is to be taken over by a participant from the consortium, with the other participants assuming a supplier role in this phase.
The care can change within the two-year term. Thus, it is possible, that the hosting partner of the international meeting will take care of it, after the methods developed in his country have been discussed locally. In addition to the Instagram-Account, we will discuss in the first transnational meeting and decide whether we write a professional article on the topic of health / satisfaction, promotion in the workplace in European comparison, if necessary, to create a handout. In addition to these intended outputs, we want to explore whether the topic of satisfaction or health promotion on the pedagogical workplace occurs in the respective training curricula.
We found each other to a consortium before the application, spread over five European countries . We cooperate in a total of 8 partner organizations in the following countries: Romania, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Germany. Each country organizes a transnational meeting. During these meetings we will visit the partner institutions as well as other facilities. Prior to our visit, these facilities were selected by our partners and briefed accordingly. Leadership-based interviews are conducted on site. These key questions will be worked out in the kick-off meeting in Germany. For each international meeting, the respective partners send at least two representatives. Most of the participants are familiar with each other through the previous project. The following are represented as occupational groups: educators, social pedagogics, teachers, institution-managers. At least, three of the participants already work semi-professionally with an Instagram-Account.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 85380 Eur

Project Coordinator

Adolf-Reichwein-Schule & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Scoala Gimnaziala “Elena Vacarescu”
• Pohjois-Karjalan koulutuskuntayhtymä, Riveria
• Vitos Kalmenhof
• Baldergymnasiet
• Saules Gojus
• Klaipedos Varpelio mokykla-darzelis
• Gradinita nr.50