Coping in the classroom: A study of Professional Quality of Life (ProQoL) in Australian teachers

Research has shown that teachers are at increased risk for compassion fatigue and low career satisfaction. Compassion fatigue may occur as a result of repeated exposure to traumatic experiences of someone in their care. Utilising a sample of 334 Australian teachers, the present study examined the impact of coping styles on compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction. Regression analyses revealed that avoidant coping strategies were significant predictors of compassion fatigue. Conversely, teachers who utilised problem-focused coping strategies reported lower levels of compassion fatigue and higher levels of compassion satisfaction than teachers who used other types of coping strategies. These results serve to inform future supports and strategies to promote teacher wellbeing and satisfaction.