Sources of occupational stress in primary and secondary school teachers in Mozambique, Brazil and Portugal A systematic literature review

Abstract

The teacher plays a crucial role in the implementation of public educational policies (curricula, objectives, educational goals). Even so, he is often subject to work in precarious situations and harmful to his mental, physical and psychological health, which leads to the occurrence of occupational stress and to professional exhaustion. Several studies have been carried out in different contexts to identify the potential predictors of stress in the teaching work. This literature review article aims to identify the sources of occupational stress in primary and secondary school teachers in Mozambique, Brazil and Portugal. We analyzed 28 studies that address the sources of occupational stress in elementary and middle school teachers, with 18 studies in Brazil, 5 in Mozambique and the same number in Portugal. The results indicate that occupational stress is a problem that affects teachers in the three countries. The most common causes are: work overload, indiscipline and misbehavior among students, greater number of students / room, lack of interest By the learning and demotivation of students, followed by low wages and salaries, precarious and inadequate conditions of teaching work, and relationships with parents and students’ families. These situations imply a rethinking of teaching in the countries studied, which suggests that this should be an ergonomically designed work, which presupposes the application of theories, models, laws and methods of ergonomics in the educational context.