This study involved two research approaches: 1) a case study and 2) a robust literature review. These were conducted to strengthen the very sparsely studied phenomenon of teacher wellbeing in the primary school context. By combining these two methods, we are able to obtain a broader and deeper picture of the studied phenomenon. This study answers two research questions: 1) What experiences do teachers have regarding their wellbeing during teacher classroom management (TCM) implementation? 2) What studies have been conducted on teacher wellbeing in dealing with students with externalising conduct? Therefore, the aim of this study was to strengthen our understanding of teacher wellbeing using a multimethod approach. 

The diversity of pupils and their different difficulties challenge teachers’ skills and methods in teaching. Some behavioural challenges require rapid intervention and a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach by the teachers. An internationally recognised tool, TCM, aims to support pupils’ socio-emotional development, improve teacher–pupil interaction, and strengthen school–home cooperation. This case study examines teachers’ experiences of TCM in the Finnish primary school context. The study is qualitative, and the data (N = 16) was collected through focus group interviews. 

The theoretical framework of this study includes various indicators of teacher’s wellbeing. A systematic literature review was conducted to develop a robust theoretical framework for this paper. Wellbeing is a multidimensional notion and an understudied phenomenon (Berlanda, et al., 2019; Reddy et al., 2018; Weiland, 2021). Wellbeing theorists study the individual trait of flourishing, “understood as optimal ways of functioning characterised by goodness and wholeness” (Cherkowski & Walker, 2016). Research on human flourishing focuses on the importance of healthy relationships (Cherkowski & Walker, 2016), centrality of emotion and affect (Fredrickson, 2001), and feelings of competence (Dollansky, 2014). We therefore included Gibbs (2018) thoughts about teachers’ identities, autonomy, and efficacy.

Seligman’s (2002, 2011) wellbeing theory stemmed from positive psychology, studying positive human qualities, habits, and mental models, rather than the analysis or exploration of deficits and negative attributes (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). In 2002, Seligman claimed that ‘happiness’ is made up of three elements: positive emotion, engagement, and meaning. In 2011, Seligman revised his theory to include two other elements: relationships and accomplishments. According to Seligman (2011), positive relationships, or a lack thereof, have a critical influence on overall wellbeing; wellbeing should be viewed as a construct.

Researchers recently have followed Seligman’s approach to viewing the issue of teacher wellbeing through a positive psychology lens. The conversation turned to retaining teachers through mindfulness (De Stercke, Goyette, & Robertson, 2015), with positive teacher leadership practices focused on wellbeing for all (Cherkowski, 2018). Cherkowski (2018) specifically emphasised teacher wellbeing as a priority in its own right. This is in contrast to focusing on wellbeing as a tool to prevent burnout and attrition or solely to benefit students. In this paper, we aim to develop a deeper understanding of teachers’ wellbeing regarding students’ externalising conduct in classroom/schools as a preventive approach to wellbeing in education.

This study involved two research approaches to strengthen our understanding of the studied phenomenon. Therefore, we employed a multimethodological approach. First, we used a case study as one of our methods. The TCM case group management method was conducted during the academic year 2021–2022 in one municipality in Finland. The TCM group management workshop started in August 2021, and a total of 16 teachers from grades 1–6 from the two pilot schools were selected to participate. The study examined teachers’ experiences of the TCM method through qualitative case study research. The data was collected through thematic focus group interviews. The data was analysed via content analysis and processed hermeneutically and abductively. The systematic literature review, as our second methodological approach, functions as the theoretical framework for this study. It includes various indicators of teacher’ wellbeing. Suri (2018) identified six key decisions associated with a research synthesis. We used this method to identify, search, evaluate, understand, and interpret the selected articles; qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies were included. We used strict literature search and selection criteria to ensure a complete review of studies that included empirical findings related to teachers’ wellbeing regarding students’ externalising conduct in schools in Europe. First, a comprehensive literature search was performed using the keywords wellbeing* OR wellbeing*, external*, teacher*, and school*. The searches were conducted in two electronic databases: Web of Science and ERIC. In the first search, we included peer-reviewed journal publications and dissertations published from 2000 to 2023. All articles had to be in English. All of the authors of this paper conducted independent literature searches using the same keywords and search engines. Duplicate studies were removed, and consensus was reached through a joint review by the authors of the latest set of studies included in this review. As a result of the first search, 281 studies were identified: 186 from Web of Science and 96 from Eric. Second, the initial sum of articles was reduced to 6 from Web of Science and 5 from Eric, but one of the Eric articles had already been found in the Web of Science search articles.

According to the teachers, participation in TCM training strengthened group management skills and their ability to cope at work. First, the TCM training was excellently organised and did not overburden them. The training took place over a full day, during which time substitutes were hired for the teachers. As a result, the teachers felt refreshed and focused on the content of the training at the start of the day. The exercises were concrete, small tasks linked to their own teaching work. The teachers found the TCM training to be rewarding and supportive of their own ability to cope at work. They recommended the training to all colleagues, including those experiencing fatigue or inadequacy. The training prompted reflection on their own pedagogical philosophy and the roots of their teaching. The training was perceived as clarifying the core of the teachers’ work and as a way of looking at the whole from different perspectives and from a distance. Teachers stated that the school day is filled with small achievements, but it is important to remember the bigger picture and the longer-term key objectives of learning and education, including sustainable wellbeing. Through the literature review, we were able to identify important factors or characteristics of the investigated phenomenon of teacher wellbeing regarding students’ externalising conduct. We were also able to identify and analyse gaps in existing research knowledge (Munn et al., 2018). According to Barni et al. (2019), teachers’ conservation values were positively associated with a sense of self-efficacy regardless of the type and level of motivation for teaching. More interestingly, the relationships between openness to change and self-efficacy on the one hand, and self-transcendence and self-efficacy on the other, varied depending on teachers’ motivations. These relationships were stronger when teachers perceived less external pressure and felt self-determined towards teaching.

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