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Belastungen und Ressourcen — Ergebnisse einer Arbeitszeitanalyse bei sächsischen Gymnasiallehrerinnen und Gymnasiallehrern

Aim: Teachers are known to suffer from a high level of psychic and psychosomatic disorders. Furthermore, a large percentage of them do not reach retirement age in the job. In view of this, the study analysed the time needed for additional work each week and year, and the relationship between the work load and mental health and wellbeing to determine the risks and resources of teaching. Methods: A written questionnaire in January/February 2001 recorded the individual time needed for additional work over four weeks and on average over a school year, and assessed the demands, conditions and effects of teaching. 653 teachers responded: 7.3 % of upper secondary school teachers in Saxony. Results: Teachers reported needing 9.1 hours per week to prepare and go over teaching units, and 5.4 hours for corrections. Including all regular additional tasks and holidays used for work, they have a weekly working time of about 56 hours, corresponding to 2105 hours per year. The work load and working time are significantly associated. Job performance and health correlate positively with job satisfaction, while the work load and a high volume of working time correlate negatively. Realising one’s own wishes and ideas at work becomes the most important predictor of high job and life satisfaction. Conclusions: The high work load of teachers in Saxony is in accordance with the upper boundaries found in studies carried out in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Complex associations between the demands and psychosocial factors, such as social support, selfconfidence and autonomy, determine the resources available for developing health and wellbeing.