Job demands and resources of information and technology use among teachers in Germany

Some teachers associate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use with additional stress, which is investigated under the term technostress. Other teachers seem to be able to utilize the advantages and potentials of ICT. The extent to which advantages of ICT positively impact teachers’ health has mostly been neglected in previous studies, as well as the interplay of ICT-related factors. The study aims to compile influencing factors of ICT use on teachers’ health and to gain knowledge on the role of the benefits of ICT. Furthermore, information about the interplay of factors is to be obtained. The group concept mapping (GCM) method was used with 14 in-service German teachers from different school types. They compiled, sorted and rated factors related to teachers' health in the context of ICT use. The sorted factors were structured using non-metric multidimensional scaling, and cluster analysis. Seventy-eight unique factors were generated and divided into 9 clusters. The resulting concept map (CM) provides an overview of the various factors influencing the health of teachers using ICT and gives information about their interplay. In addition, the teachers rated clusters related to the positive effects on teachers’ health as more important than those related to negative effects. The results suggest that future studies should consider the positive effects of ICT on teachers' health more extensively. Limitations concerning the chosen method, sampling, and the need for further research are discussed.