Coping strategies and psychological characteristics of teachers with different professional experience: A psychological and educational context

This article analyses the specific features of coping strategies, personal characteristics, and self-efficacy levels among teachers with different lengths of professional experience. The study involved 90 teachers from municipal schools in Rostov-on-Don and Rostov Oblast, stratified into three groups based on their length of service: Group 1 (up to 5 years, n=30), Group 2 (5-14 years, n=30), and Group 3 (over 15 years, n=30). The diagnostic tools employed were: the Coping Behavior in Stressful Situations questionnaire (by S. Normann, D.F. Endler, J.A.M. Parker; adapted version by T.A. Kryukova); the Methodology for Assessing Coping Behavior Strategies and Models (by N.E. Vodopyanova, E.S. Starchenkova); the SelfEfficacy Scale (by R. Schwarzer, M. Jerusalem; adapted by V.G. Romek); the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire by R.B. Cattell. Statistical analysis included an assessment of internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficient; descriptive statistics (median, standard deviation); correlation analysis using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (p); group comparisons using the Kruskal-Wallis H-test and the Mann-Whitney U-test; Tukey's post-hoc test; and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) using Wilks' Lambda and univariate F-tests. Data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS 21.0 software package, with the level of statistical significance set at p < 0.05. The results indicated that the length of teaching experience is associated with the nature of the coping strategies used and the level of self-efficacy. Novice teachers more frequently use emotion-focused and reactive coping strategies while demonstrating a moderately low level of self-efficacy. Teachers with 5-14 years of experience tend to use proactive and problem-focused strategies, yet they show a minimal level of self-efficacy. Among teachers with over 15 years of experience, a tendency to use avoidant methods was observed, coupled with a moderate level of self-efficacy. The analysis of personality traits revealed significant differences in characteristics such as openness, emotional stability, social boldness, nonconformity, volitional qualities, and tension level. High self-efficacy was positively correlated with constructive coping strategies, indicating the importance of personality traits for overcoming professional stressors. The data obtained in this study have practical significance for designing psychological support and burnout prevention programs for teachers, taking into account their professional experience and individual psychological profiles. The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

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