A teacher's subjective assessment of his psychological age as a resource for pedagogical longevity at school

psychological health, professional longevity, teacher, general education organization, professional burnout, threats and risks in the education system.

Abstract

Purpose of the study. The problem is linked to trends in education reform, a shortage of teaching staff, and the emergence of numerous risks in the educational environment associated with early teacher burnout and, consequently, dismissal. The study of personal, organizational, socioeconomic, and other factors influencing teachers' subjective perception of their age, psychological health, and professional longevity is an extremely important area of research today. Lack of time, high administrative workload, pressure from responsibility, a toxic school environment, and broader systemic problems negatively impact teacher well-being and lead to significant reductions in their workforce. Younger generations are less engaged in this field, raising the objective challenge of retaining a «core» teaching staff comprised of more experienced teachers. The primary goal of the study is to clarify the relationship between individual «psychological health» scales and «professional longevity» scales. The main sample included teachers from general education organizations, predominantly women, with teaching experience from 24 to 65 years (average age 44±1 years, 32 participants, pilot study).

Materials and Methods. In our study, we used a theoretical analysis of the literature on the problem under study, including a conceptual analysis of previously conducted studies. The empirical methods included: the Scale for Assessing Expected Retirement Age by T.N. Berezina; Self-Assessment of Psychological Age by K.A. Abulkhanova and T.N. Berezina; the Scale of Psychological Well-Being by K. Riff, adapted by N.N. Lepeshinsky. Methods of mathematical processing and analysis of the obtained data: descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, descriptive data analysis, analysis of variance with Fisher's exact test.

Research results. For the first time, the relationships between the professional longevity and psychological health scales of teachers in general education organizations were studied in the context of the digital transformation of educational environments, the reform of the education system, and the training of school teachers. The study identified differences between different age groups of teachers on the following scales: positive relationships; autonomy; environmental management; personal growth; life goals; self-acceptance; and psychological well-being. As teachers gain more teaching experience, they begin to rethink their age. The older the teacher, the older they perceive themselves to be relative to their actual age.

Conclusions. The study shows that the average age of teachers who subjectively assess themselves younger than the real age is 62-63 years. Those who rate themselves older are 57-58 years old. The time interval of subjective aging falls on the period of 45-54 years, possibly due to the onset of stages of professional burnout. Teachers who rate themselves younger have a higher psychological well-being index, primarily due to the «environmental management» scale. The differences between contrasting groups on the following scales are revealed: positive relationships; autonomy; environmental management; personal growth; goals in life; self-acceptance and psychological well-being. As teachers increase their teaching experience, they begin to overestimate their age internally, considering themselves to be older than their real age.

Keywords: psychological health, professional longevity, psychological age, teacher, general education organization, professional burnout, threats and risks in the education system.