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Nilsson, Marie
2017
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Nilsson, M. (2017). Salutogenic Resources in the Everyday Lives of Teachers. Promoting workplace learning
and well-being. Lund: Lund University: Faculty of Medicine.
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LUND UNIVERSITY
PO Box 117
221 00 Lund
+46 46-222 00 00
Salutogenic Resources in the
Everyday Lives of Teachers
Promoting workplace learning and well-being
Marie Nilsson
DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
by due permission of the Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Sweden.
To be defended at Aulan ,CRC, SUS Malmö. Date 2017-05-16, 09.00.
Faculty opponent
Docent Peter Korp
Institutionen för kost- och idrottsvetenskap, Göteborgs universitet
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Organization Document name
LUND UNIVERSITY DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
Date of issue May 16, 2017
Author(s) Sponsoring organization
Marie Nilsson
Title and subtitle Salutogenic Resources in the Everyday Lives of Teachers.
Promoting workplace learning and well-being
Abstract
The aim of this thesis was to explore salutogenic resources in the everyday lives of teachers, and to
investigate how an intervention of collegial reflection influences their work-related learning and their well-
being.The thesis includes two parts, a needs assessment and an intervention, performed between 2009 and
2016. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches have been used in the process of the thesis. Methods used
for data generation have been multistage focus groups interviews, individual interviews, questionnaire, open
mail questions, and digital recordings of the reflection meetings. Four different methods have been used For
the analyses: content analysis, hermeneutic analysis, multiple linear regression, and thematic analysis.
The findings indicate that the caring relationships with pupils, but also colleagues, were important for the
teachers’ finding meaning in their work. The caring relationships and the sense of meaningfulness were
important resources for the teachers well-being.
Collegial reflection was a health promoting resource in that it contributed with social support from colleagues, a
sense of belonging, a consensus regarding shool issues, and recovery. This recovery occurred while the
teachers were having their collegial reflection, indicating that they still felt recovered even though they were
reflecting on work-related issues.
The thesis also indicates that teachers’ experiences of time pressure at work was the variable with the
strongest associaton to their experience of work-life balance. The integration of work and private lives is an
important part of being a teacher. Certain aspects of work was considered as positive and salutogenic when
integrated with their private lives, such as the creative aspect of teaching. However, other aspects, such as
ruminating over abused pupils, were affecting their well-being in a detrimental way when integrated in their
private lives.
In a time when much focus is put on teachers’ increasing workload, documentation and psychosocial risks, it is
important to pay more attention to the salutogenic and the enhancing aspects of teachers’ work. By doing that,
teachers’ well-being may be enhanced, as well as supporting teacher retention.
Key words
Workplace heatlh promotion, teachers, salutogenesis, intervention, collegial reflection
Classification system and/or index terms (if any)
Supplementary bibliographical information English
ISSN and key title ISBN 978-91-7619-453-9
1652-8220 Lund University, Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation
Series 2017:73
Recipient’s notes Number of pages 98 Price
Security clasification
I, the undersigned, being the copyright owner of the abstract of the above-mentioned dissertation, hereby grant to all
reference sources permission to publish and disseminate the abstract of the above-mentioned dissertation.
Signature Date 2017-04-10
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Salutogenic Resources in the
Everyday Lives of Teachers
Promoting workplace learning and well-being
Marie Nilsson
3
Coverphoto by Karolina Swärdh
Copyright Marie Nilsson
Faculty of Medicine
Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö
ISBN 978-91-7619-453-9
ISSN 1652-8220
Printed in Sweden by Media-Tryck, Lund University
Lund 2017
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This thesis is dedicated to my family: to my mother and
father because you have always believed in me; to Göran for
your never-ending support; and to Karl and Axel because
you are the meaning in my life
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Content
List of publications ......................................................................................... 8
Concepts and Abbreviations ........................................................................... 9
Preface .................................................................................................................... 11
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 15
Background ............................................................................................................ 17
Working as a Teacher ................................................................................... 17
Health and Well-Being ................................................................................. 20
Teachers’ Health and Well-Being ................................................................ 24
Workplace Health Promotion ....................................................................... 26
Work-life balance ......................................................................................... 28
Reflection and Time ..................................................................................... 31
Recovery ...................................................................................................... 33
Framework and concepts ........................................................................................ 35
The salutogenic perspective ......................................................................... 35
The participatory approach ........................................................................... 36
Framework for workplace learning .............................................................. 38
Aim ......................................................................................................................... 43
Methods .................................................................................................................. 45
Design .......................................................................................................... 45
Context ......................................................................................................... 46
Pre-understanding ........................................................................................ 47
Participants ................................................................................................... 48
Data generation and analysis ........................................................................ 49
Needs assessment ......................................................................................... 49
Focus group interviews ........................................................................ 49
Individual interviews ........................................................................... 50
Content analysis................................................................................... 50
Hermeneutic analysis ........................................................................... 51
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Questionnaire survey ........................................................................... 53
The Intervention ........................................................................................... 55
Digital recordings, Open mail questions, Individual interviews ......... 55
Thematic analysis ................................................................................ 56
Ethical considerations .................................................................................. 56
Results .................................................................................................................... 61
Teachers’ well-being in their everyday lives ............................................... 61
The salutogenic aspects ....................................................................... 61
The pathogenic aspects ........................................................................ 62
Teachers’ resources in relation to work-life balance .................................... 65
Collegial reflection and its influence on teachers’ work-related
learning and their sense of well-being .......................................................... 67
The work environment dimension ....................................................... 67
The individual acquisition processes: content and incentive dimensions
............................................................................................................. 68
Learning, reflection and well-being ..................................................... 70
Discussion .............................................................................................................. 73
Discussion of the results ............................................................................... 73
Methodological considerations .................................................................... 77
Aspects concerning the quantitative studies ........................................ 78
Aspects concerning the quantitative study .......................................... 80
Concluding remarks ..................................................................................... 81
Populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning .......................................................... 82
Acknowledgement ........................................................................................ 85
References .............................................................................................................. 87
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List of publications
This thesis is based on the following papers, referred to in the text by their Roman
numerals.
I Nilsson, M., Ejlertsson, G., Andersson, I. & Blomqvist, K. (2015).
Caring as a salutogenic aspect in teachers’ lives. Teaching and
Teacher Education, 46, 51-61.
II Nilsson, M., Blomqvist, K., & Andersson, I. (2017). Salutogenic
Resources in Relation to Teachers’ Work-life Balance. WORK: A
Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation, 56(4).
III Nilsson, M., Andersson, I., & Blomqvist, K. Co-Existing Needs –
Paradoxes in Collegial Reflection. (Submitted for publication).
IV Nilsson, M. & Blomqvist, K. Promoting teachers’ learning and their
well-being through collegial reflection. (Submitted for publication).
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Concepts and Abbreviations
In this thesis there are concepts that may be perceived as understood by people in
more or less the same way as if we have a similar pre-understanding and frame of
reference. In an everyday context, there is a core of a common understanding (even
though it may be less common than we would like to believe), and this is a
prerequisite for societies to function. However, in a scientific context, it is important
to clarify what is meant when we use certain concepts. Such a concept – which I
paradoxically just used, supposing you would understand what I meant – is the
everyday life. If we question the obvious, it is clear that the everyday life embraces
different aspects for different people. Such an aspect is whether we use the
individual or the family as the main unit (Ellegård, 2001). In this thesis, I used the
individual’s perspective, and viewed him/her as entering different arenas, such as
the home, the workplace, the store, and the gym. However, the home and the family
are important parts of the individual’s life. Everyday life includes all the activities
that take place during a day, which thereby also includes one’s work. It also includes
all days of the week, and not only Monday to Friday.
Despite the multitude of understandings of work as a concept, there is still no
definition accepted across different disciplines (Karlsson, 2013). In this thesis work
is defined as gainful employment, and does not include domestic work, such as
household chores. Nor is voluntary work included in the definition. The concept of
work conditions is used as circumstances in daily work which impact how one
experiences work (Parding & Berg-Jansson, 2016). Examples of such circumstances
are workplace characteristics, management and organization of work. The term
workplace refers to the actual school where the teachers work. Telework is described
as working outside the traditional workplace through the use of communication
technology (Major & Germano, 2006).
GRR Generalized resistance resources
PAR Participatory action research
SER Specific enhancing resources
SOC Sense of Coherence
WHP Workplace health promotion
WLB Work-life balance
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