Planned topics of forthcoming issues
The main subject of Vol. 15, 2026/1 No. 29 will be
Stress and Success Among Teachers
Teachers and their professional activity have been often a subject of pedagogical discourse. Reasearchers focus, among others, on issues related to professional qualifications and competencies, functions and tasks resulting from social and professional roles assigned to teachers, and the character of their job in terms of relationships with students, fellow teachers and parents in the school environment. The above mentioned problems, as presented in scientific journals or monographs, have been aimed at showing the teaching profession as it is, as well as an ideal which will function perfectly in the dynamically changing school reality. Considering the above, it was concluded that theoretical assumptions and research regarding: occupational stress and professional success will be a valuable contribution and extension of publications about teachers and teaching. These two categories (even though they are present in pedagogical literature) need to be updated and new diagnoses and further research recommendations in these areas should be presented. It will help to recognize the dynamics of changes in the profession as well as determinants of teacher professional success and factors leading to stress, burnout and drop-out from the teaching profession.
Teacher stress is most often identified with a specific role or role conflict, or mismatch between a person and a job or workplace. It’s consequences are reflected in personal experience that translates into dissatisfaction from work and, consequently, burnout or resignation from work. It is so because stress, as a result of failed relations between a teacher and their environment, is the key element to understand and explain the causes of burnout. They are usually identified as: workload (too many responsibilities, too difficult tasks or lack of proper resources), control (role conflicts, excessive control of supervisors or lack of influence on task implementation), remuneration (too low a salary, lack of rewards or recognition from management and parents, depreciation of teachers or their work), community (isolation, conflicts and tensions, disrespect), unfair treatment (discrimination, bias in evaluation or rewarding, favoritism, uneven workload), values (work that feels pointless). Thus, professional burnout is the biological response to stress the source of which is situation at work.
At the opposite pole of burnout as stress derivative, is the sense of professional success. Success is usually identified with professional achievements that result in satisfaction, joy, development, fulfillment and recognition from others and self. This, in turn, confirms the effectiveness of one’s efforts and gives meaning and value to that person’s teaching activity. Thus, the sense of success leads to rapid increase of self-esteem, motivation and engagement. The need to succeed is typical for every employee. In case of teachers, the value of success is most often measured with the development and achievements of students and their external confirmation, e.g. awards, diplomas. Being successful and confirmed effectiveness of teachers’ work allows them to see their profession as meaningful.
By inviting you to share your studies into teacher stress (along with burnout as a consequence thereof) and success, I hope that the works submitted will not only to enrich and update the existing knowledge but also become a turning point in strengthening the practical aspects of the teaching profession (including prospective teacher education, teacher professional training and improvement, and psychological support) in the perspective of teachers’ needs and expectations, and their preparation to functioning in the dynamically changing social and educational environment.
Keywords: teacher, teacher professional success, teacher occupational stress, professional burnout
Planned publication: June 2026
Submissions before: June 30, 2025
