What processes or key components do teachers attribute to their well‐being? A cross‐cultural qualitative study of teacher well‐being in Cambodia, Kenya, and Qatar

Abstract

The study of teacher well‐being is critically important. However, teacher well‐being studies are lacking in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and also generally in low‐income countries. This exploratory case study sought to identify teachers' perceptions of work‐related characteristics and personal practices associated with well‐being and burnout in three underrepresented, diverse sites: Battambang, Cambodia; Bungoma, Kenya; and Doha, Qatar. Ninety teachers participated in in‐depth interviews (Qatar N = 21, Cambodia N = 33, Kenya N = 36), as well as 16 principals and 11 policymakers. Qualitative analysis was conducted using data‐driven, emergent codes. Findings revealed that teachers attributed remarkably similar processes and key components to their well‐being (e.g., engagement school‐wide or district‐wide, schools attending to teachers' personal needs) and burnout (e.g., administrative burden, student misbehavior) across all three sites, with a few notable differences worthy of future follow‐up. Few teachers could name any well‐being programs at their school.