The criticality of teacher educator wellbeing: Reflecting through arts-based methods

Oct 15, 2026

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Teacher educators confront sustained pressures from workload and government-driven reforms within Initial Teacher Education programs. COVID-19 intensified these demands as universities face cost-efficiency expectations and stronger performance outcomes, often increasing burnout risk. Despite recognition of stress in higher education, teacher educator wellbeing remains under-researched, especially regarding how wellbeing is maintained amid uncertainty. A collaborative arts-based autoethnographic study examines wellbeing challenges and supports agency using PERMA.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Teacher Educator Wellbeing

Australian Journal of Teacher Education Volume 48 Issue 4 Article 6 2023 The criticality of teacher educator wellbeing: Reflecting through arts-based methods Kristina Turner Swinburne University of Technology Georgina M. Barton Dr University of Southern Queensland Susanne Garvis Griffith University Ellen Larsen University of Southern Queensland Follow this and additional works at: [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte) Part of the Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Higher Education and Teaching Commons, Other Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons, and the Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons Recommended Citation Turner, K., Barton, G. M., Garvis, S., & Larsen, E. (2023) . The criticality of teacher educator wellbeing: Reflecting through arts-based methods. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 48(4) . [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/)[ ](https://doi.org/)10.14221/1835-517X.6146 This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol48/iss4/6](https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol48/iss4/6) The Criticality of Teacher Educator Wellbeing: Reflecting Through Arts-Based Methods Kristina Turner Swinburne University of Technology Georgina Barton University of Southern Queensland Susie Garvis Griffith University Ellen Larsen University of Southern Queensland Abstract: Teacher educators face many challenges related to workload and government-mandated reforms in Initial Teacher Education programs. Evidence suggests that COVID-19 has exacerbated these challenges as universities must become more costeffective and improve research outcomes and impact, often resulting in heavier workloads. While these challenges may be faced in other disciplines, teacher educator wellbeing, stress and burnout is an under-researched field, and little is known about if and how teacher educators maintain their wellbeing during times of uncertainty. This collaborative autoethnographic study applied an arts-based research method to explore the wellbeing challenges faced by four Australian teacher educators through the lens ofthe PERMA wellbeing framework. Data was collected through conversations, written reflections and field texts. While tensions often emerged, opportunities for success and positive changes also became known. The importance of agency and self-determination ofteacher educator wellbeing became an important foundation for continuation in teacher education. Introduction The higher education sector globally has been recognised as a high-stress environment for academics (Lee et al., 2022). Increased pressures to publish in high-quality journals (Barton et al., 2022), huge workloads (Graham, 2015), high casualisation (Leathwood & Read, 2020) as well as cutting costs (Alexander, 2020) have all been identified as impacting university employees’wellbeing (Kinman et al., 2006) . In recent times, these pressures have been proven to increase because ofCOVID-19 (Parte & Herrador-Alcaide, 2021) with social isolation due to lockdowns and greater fatigue being felt by many (Shen & Slater, 2021), especially women (Kitchener, 2020 ; Malisch et al. 2020) . Teacher educators are those that work within Initial Teacher Education (ITE) . While these observations have been made across the university sector, those that work in teacher education face extra stressors resulting from negative media reports and strict government mandates related to their work (Mansfield et al., 2016) . In Australia for example, regular reviews of ITE programs occur, impacting on teacher educators’work in multiple ways (Churchwood & Willis, 2019) . Examples include constant vigilance and change in content in learning and teaching (Rowe & Skourdoumbis, 2019) . Such governmental reviews attempt to transform the teaching profession and address Australian school students’ declining learning outcomes (Pendergast, 2023), ci

FAQs

Why is teacher educator wellbeing considered a critical issue in the study?

Teacher educators face challenges tied to workload and government-mandated reforms in Initial Teacher Education, which COVID-19 further exacerbated through increased pressure and heavier workloads.

What research method did the study use to explore wellbeing challenges?

The study used a collaborative autoethnographic approach applying arts-based research methods, using conversations, written reflections, and field texts.

How did the study analyze wellbeing in relation to the participants?

Findings were interpreted through the PERMA wellbeing framework, highlighting both tensions and opportunities for success and positive changes, with emphasis on agency and self-determination.

Oct 15, 2026

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