Teachers are among the occupations most affected by work-related stress (Aloe et al., 2014). About a third of teachers in Switzerland report feeling stressed at work on a daily basis (Kunz Heim et al., 2014). Chronic stress can in turn result in employees being unable to work due to physical or mental health issues (Bödeker, 2000), leaving the profession in search of other career options, or retiring early (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). Worldwide, schools are struggling with staff shortages as increasing numbers of teachers are leaving the classroom due to challenging working conditions (Goldhaber & Theobald, 2022). Hence, there is an urgent need for effective organizational health interventions (OHI) in the education sector. The proposed project explores how OHIs are designed in schools with a focus on participation.

The study is based on the Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R) (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014), which assumes that job demands, such as time pressure or heavy workload, can trigger a health-impairment process that can result in negative strain (e.g., exhaustion). In contrast, personal and professional resources, like social support or appreciative leadership, have a positive impact on employees´ motivation, work engagement, and consequently mental well-being (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014). A balance between job demands and resources can be achieved by actively redesigning work, which includes strengthening personal and professional resources, fostering motivating work requirements as well as reducing demanding working conditions (Tims et al., 2012). Within the theoretical framework of the JD-R, this process is described as “job crafting”(Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001). OHIs make use of this concept by encouraging employees to actively shape their workplace through participatory approaches. Thus, participation in health promotion is understood as "a process which allows employees to exert some influence over their work and the conditions under which they work" (Heller et al., 2004, p. 15).

Past research has shown that a high level of participation can positively influence the effectiveness of health interventions (Schelvis et al., 2016). It has been argued that participation makes employees feel more empowered and in control of the changes affecting their workplace (Nielsen & Christensen, 2021). At the same time, there is evidence showing that participation can sometimes backfire, as the participation process requires considerable resources and consequently lead to an increase in workload and higher stress levels (Schelvis et al., 2016). While there is a broad consensus on the importance of participation in OHIs, it is often not well understood why some participatory interventions fail, while others succeed (Nielsen & Christensen, 2021). Especially in the school context, there is a lack of long-term studies that evaluate the entire process of participatory OHIs (Dadaczynski et al., 2015). Recently, several authors have therefore called for more in-depth investigations that provide a better understanding of “what works for whom in which circumstances”? (Nielsen & Christensen, 2021; Nielsen & Miraglia, 2017; Roodbari et al., 2022). This study, therefore, aims to provide a detailed insight into the quality of participatory processes as well as identify relevant contextual factors which influence the participatory process in OHIs in schools. 

The following research questions are guiding the analysis: How does the implementation of the intervention proceed in the different schools (process)? How does the initial situation (context) influence the quality of the process?

Intervention The intervention is a well-established program for OHI in Switzerland, which follows a configurable approach that allows to adapt necessary measures to the needs of the individual schools. With the support of school counselors, schools derive and implement measures based on the results of a staff survey. The study examines the first phase of the project. In this phase staff is actively taking part in workshops, where the results of the survey are interpreted, fields of action are identified, and initial measures are deduced. Study Design and Sample The present study is part of an extensive project that evaluates the abovementioned health intervention during a period of two years (2022-2024). The study population consists of teaching and non-teaching staff of six schools in Switzerland (N = 450). The evaluation combines the quantitative data of the staff survey with several qualitative methods (document analysis, semi-structured interviews, observation, field notes) to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the intervention and implementation setting as well as the quality of the participation process. Document analysis The document analysis provides data on the organizations´ resources, culture, and leadership as well as existing structures that encourage or hinder participation, experience with implementing health promotion programs, and the integration of the intervention in existing school evaluation or health promotion programs. Qualitative interviews The semi-structured qualitative interviews were held with leadership personnel. The interviews were recorded after verbal consent was obtained from participants and reflected on several contextual factors concerning the organization itself, the intervention and implementation setting, as well as leadership mental models. Observation The observation of workshops was conducted by three researchers, who used a semi-structured observation protocol. The researchers documented the proceedings during the workshop along defined categories. Field notes & Logbook Complementary to the observations, additional information about meetings and communication between school counselors and school leadership in the implementation phase was tracked. Data analysis The research questions are answered based on an analytical framework and evaluated in a case-comparative design (Yanchar & Williams, 2006). The data will be analyzed using MAXQDA software.

The data are currently being analyzed. First preliminary results of the study will be presented at the conference. The presentation will also offer the opportunity to jointly reflect on the methodological procedure.

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