Frequency of Cognitive Condition Job Demands and Their Association with Teachers’ Appraisal of Learning and Idea Generation

Abstract

Teacher learning is important for the quality of education. Technological and societal changes accentuate the necessity of teachers’ innovative behavior, such as idea generation. However, teacher stress and changes in the field of education, particularly brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, impact teachers’ well-being negatively. The present study explored whether the frequencies of the work-related cognitive condition demands is associated with whether teachers appraise learning and idea generation as inspiring or straining cognitive job demands. The cognitive condition demands were in this study time pressure, multitasking, problems with instructions, and disturbances at work. In addition, stress and quality of recovery were assessed. I used preexisting data from the Brainwork dataset, consisting of answers from 1045 teachers collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frequencies of learning, idea generation, time pressure, multitasking, problems with instructions, and disturbances at work, and their appraisals were assessed with the Brainwork Survey. Stress and quality of recovery were assessed using single item measurements. Hierarchical regression analyses and commonality analyses showed that quality of recovery were positively associated with teachers’ appraisal of learning and idea generation as inspiring. The four cognitive condition demands does not seem to be associated with teachers’ appraisals of learning and idea generation. However, the four cognitive condition demands combined with stress and quality of recovery were associated with whether teachers appraise learning and idea generation as inspiring or straining.