Helena Tinnerholm Ljungberg

Research problem and specific questionsTeacher retention is a problem for many schools. In some municipalities 15-25% of teachers quit every year. While some turnover is necessary, too much instability is harmful for both students’ results and teachers’ health. There is therefore an urgent need to minimize teacher turnover. Limitations of studies examining work-characteristics associated with teacher turnover are that they have mainly been cross-sectional register studies. Knowledge is lacking on the relative importance of these work-characteristics in teachers’ retention decision, and whether teachers are willing to make trade-offs between these characteristics. This project aims to investigate which work-related factors teachers consider in their decision to remain in the profession (aim 1)

to examine the preferences of teachers and the trade-offs they are willing to make to stay in their profession (aim 2)

to assess how national reforms align with teacher’s work-characteristic preferences (aim 3).Data and methodThe project applies a discrete-choice experiment (DCE), consisting of three parts: a Delphi-survey (n=30 teachers

Aim 1), a DCE-survey (n=1500 teachers

Aim 2), and four focus-group interviews (Aim 3). The Delphi-survey and DCE-survey allow for the quantification of the relative importance of teachers´ work characteristics and the trade-offs they are willing to make to remain in their profession. The interviews allow for situational context to be explored and influential ‘hidden’ variables to be elucidated. The interviews provide a more nuanced understanding of the preferences identified in the DCE-survey and of whether national reforms match teacher’s preferences.Societal relevance and utilisationDespite national reforms to attract and retain teachers, a shortage of ~12 000 teachers in Sweden is prognosed by 2035. This project will inform policymakers and schools on how to facilitate a work-environment that ensures teacher’s motivation to remain in their profession.Plan for project realisationPlan for realisation includes recruitment of participants, data-collections, statistical analysis, reporting and communicating results. The multidisciplinary group has extensive experience with the proposed methodology, including DCEs, and with conducting research in schools. Costs are mainly related to salaries.

In this application we are applying for funding to convert our effective implementation strategy into a digital tool. The implementation strategy consists of the following components: educational meeting, implementation team, workshops, iterative problem-solving method and internal facilitator and supports organisations with the implementation of the national, evidence-based Guideline for the prevention of mental ill-health at the workplace. The goal of the tool is to make the strategy widely accessible and usable for organisations that seek support with the systematic prevention of mental ill-health among employees. The tool is expected to impact organisations’ routines and work-methods towards psychosocial risk management and employees’ mental health. By applying a user-centred approach, we will in a participatory manner include end-users’ perspectives, and ideas in converting the components of the implementation strategy to the digital tool. This will be done via design sessions and usability-testing. The tool will provide support through web-based education (e.g., pre-recorded webinars, training (e.g., video tutorials), manuals and worksheets. The target audience will be public-sector organisations (e.g., schools, elderly care, and social services), however the generic nature of the guideline and implementation strategy will make the tool applicable to other organisations.  The application builds on our previous projects and ongoing Forte-financed project, in which we tested the effectiveness and functioning of the implementation strategy in six Swedish municipalities among over 70 schools. The strategy was shown to be effective in improving adherence to the guideline. Moreover, results show that guideline adherence is associated with improvements in health outcomes and psychosocial work environment. The focus is now on the scale-up of the implementation strategy for widespread use through a digital tool to increase its uptake and population health impact.

Research problem and specific questionsThe profession of publicly financed personal assistant provides opportunities for persons with disabilities (‘assistance users’) to participate fully in society. The profession has specific working conditions that make it essential to study from a health perspective: personal assistants work in various environments, they often work alone in the user’s home, under varying terms of employment depending on whether the assistance organizer is private, public, cooperative or the users themselves. Moreover, the profession has high levels of sickness absence, is female-dominated, low-waged, and requires no formal education. Therefore, research on how health and the work environment interact in this profession is necessary to ensure a sustainable working life. Previous research has highlighted the importance of employers (with responsibility for safety and health at work) in the return to work process.The aim is to examine personal assistants’ and their employers’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers for return to work after sickness absence due to common mental disorders (CMDs).Data and MethodThe project has a qualitative approach. Data will be collected through two semi-structured interviews three months apart with 20–25 personal assistants and 20–25 employers/ managers.Societal relevance and utilisationCMDs are common causes of sickness absence, and women have a higher risk of becoming sick-listed than men. The profession of personal assistants suffers from high sickness absence and various insecure working conditions. Knowledge should be translated into practical measures through collaboration, remain sensitive to the legal rights of assistance users, and be useful in employers’ occupational safety and health management.Plan for project realisationThe main costs consist of salaries for the projects’ researchers. Additional costs include fees for ethical review, transcription services, language review, and collaboration.