Academy primary teachers' perceptions of wellbeing via self-determination theory.
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| Title: | Academy primary teachers' perceptions of wellbeing via self-determination theory. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Godfrey, A.1 (AUTHOR), Waldeck, D.2 (AUTHOR), Holliman, A.3 (AUTHOR) a.holliman@ucl.ac.uk |
| Source: | Teaching Education. Mar2026, Vol. 37 Issue 1, p36-57. 22p. |
| Subject Terms: | *School autonomy, *Professional employee training, *Psychology of teachers, *Teacher collaboration, *Primary schools, Self-determination theory, Job stress |
| Geographic Terms: | England |
| Abstract: | This study explores how academy primary school teachers in England view their autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and whether the academy environment supports these wellbeing-related needs better than maintained schools. Five primary educators from academy schools, aged 25 to 53, responded to an online advert and took part in semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, revealing four themes: Fading autonomy, Empowering growth, Isolated practice, and Trust me, I know my class. Teachers reported positive views on professional development, with academy schools providing chances for teacher growth and leadership. Educators felt restrictions on independence appeared due to strict adherence to schemes which overlook the creativity of teachers and the needs of learners: factors presumed to influence teachers' happiness and contentment. Academy trusts' lack of shared practice was regarded as a failure to support relatedness and minimise workload pressures. The implications of these findings are that academies need to create more opportunities for collaboration to improve the welfare of teachers by creating supportive systems. Classrooms need to be places where autonomy and trust are encouraged. Teachers should be able to use their professional judgement, where an atmosphere is created that meets the needs of educators and students alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Teaching Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 191629948 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/10476210.2025.2564843 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 22 StartPage: 36 Subjects: – SubjectFull: School autonomy Type: general – SubjectFull: Professional employee training Type: general – SubjectFull: Psychology of teachers Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher collaboration Type: general – SubjectFull: Primary schools Type: general – SubjectFull: Self-determination theory Type: general – SubjectFull: Job stress Type: general – SubjectFull: England Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Academy primary teachers' perceptions of wellbeing via self-determination theory. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Godfrey, A. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Waldeck, D. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Holliman, A. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 03 Text: Mar2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 10476210 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 37 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Teaching Education Type: main |
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