Final conference of the CSF project TeachWell

The final conference of the project “The Role of Personality, Motivation, and Socio-Emotional Competences in Early-Career Teachers’ Occupational Well-Being – TeachWell” took place on January 24, 2025, in Zagreb.

Dr. Iris Marušić, the project’s principal investigator, presented the conceptual framework, methodology, and key findings. Dora Petrović, project assistant and doctoral candidate, explored the topic of professional well-being among early-career teachers, with a particular focus on burnout and work engagement.

The conference concluded with a panel discussion on teacher well-being, with a particular emphasis on early-career educators. Panelists included Tatjana Huljek, a Croatian language teacher at Primary School Gustav Krklec; Nikolina Vidović, an English language teacher at Primary School Milan Lang Bregana; Gordana Gojmerac Dekanić, a Mathematics teacher at Primary School Kajzerica; and Igor Matijašić, Director of Primary School Milan Lang Bregana. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Jelena Matić Bojić, a project collaborator.

The study was conducted in 370 primary schools across Croatia, with the participation of 911 early-career teachers. The teachers expressed high motivation for their profession, enthusiasm for teaching, and overall job satisfaction. At the same time, they perceived their profession as lacking social prestige and believed they had limited influence on educational policy.

Although a small percentage of teachers reported experiencing frequent burnout, those who did were at significantly higher risk of leaving the profession. The findings confirmed the importance of studying teacher well-being in the early stages of their careers. Such research helps identify teachers who are most in need of support, with the goal of retaining them in the profession.

It was emphasized that retaining new teachers in the profession is a challenge, as are the increasing pressures they face in the workplace. Projects like TeachWell represent an important step toward raising awareness among educational professionals and the public about the challenges faced by new teachers. They also contribute to the search for solutions based on scientific data aimed at improving their status.

The project was financed by the Croatian Science Foundation. The members of the project team are Iris Marušić, PhD (principal investigator), and project collaborators Ivana Pikić Jogović, PhD, Jelena Matić Bojić, PhD, Josip Šabić, PhD, Tea Pavin Ivanec, PhD (Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb), Josipa Mihić, PhD (Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb), Mirta Mornar, PhD, Dora Petrović and Paula Pedić Duić (Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb).