Australian teachers’ conceptualisations of wellbeing at work: A prototype analysis

Defining teacher wellbeing is a complex task, and the relative importance of its components remain unclear. Employing a three-phase prototype analysis, we investigated whether there was an ideal representation of wellbeing at work according to Australian teachers; and if so, which components were considered more important than others. Phase 1 (n = 138) generated wellbeing features. Phase 2 (n = 438) identified central and peripheral components while Phase 3 (n = 418) confirmed recognition of central components in a cognitive task. Analysing linguistic units and measures of reliability, findings revealed a prototypical organisation of the teacher wellbeing at work concept with central components including feeling safe, supported, valued, and trusted, and achieving work/life balance. The results of this study may help inform schools and policy makers design interventions and develop policies to foster thriving educational environments for all teachers.