Supporting teacher pedagogical wellbeing through teacher learning communities: A leadership perspective

Lavinia Sheahan, Niamh Hickey and Timothy R. N. Murphy
University of Limerick, Ireland

Teacher pedagogical wellbeing is a newly emerging construct which merges teacher self-efficacy with job satisfaction. In essence, what it means to be a 'good' teacher and how that affects one's self esteem. This study aims to inform policy and practice on how school leaders can effectively implement teacher learning communities to enhance teacher pedagogical wellbeing. Four primary school teachers with leadership responsibilities and in-depth knowledge of the subject matter, were purposively selected. Data were gathered from semi-structured interviews and the use of a research diary. Open coding and a framework approach were used to analyse the data. School leadership was found to have a pivotal role in the creation of a school culture in which teacher pedagogical wellbeing is prioritised. Implementing teacher learning communities was found to boost teacher pedagogical wellbeing by supporting teachers to develop and evaluate pedagogical activities and develop positive relationships with students and colleagues. An empathetic leadership style, creating a healthy work environment and empowering staff to utilise their potential were found to be fundamental.
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Authors: Ms Lavinia Sheahan is a practising primary school teacher. She completed her Masters in School Leadership in 2022 at the University of Limerick, Ireland. Her research interests involve teacher learning communities, teacher wellbeing and student wellbeing. Email: lavinia@live.ie Dr Niamh Hickey is an Assistant Professor in Education with Mentoring at the School of Education, University of Limerick, Ireland. She recently completed her doctorate at the university, which was an exploration of distributed leadership practices in Irish post-primary schools. Her research interests include educational leadership, wellbeing, and organisational behaviours. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4178-5030 Email: niamh.hickey@ul.ie Dr Timothy R. N. Murphy completed his doctorate in education at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. He is an Associate Professor in Educational Research and Policy for the School of Education at the University of Limerick, Ireland. He teaches courses in the foundations of education, as well as in education policy. He has published widely in the field of education, on topics ranging from education policy and reform, to disadvantage in education, as well as on teacher pedagogical wellbeing. Current research interests involve explorations of schools as sites for democratic practices. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6702-2691 Email: timothy.murphy@ul.ie Please cite as: Sheahan, L., Hickey, N. & Murphy, T. R. N. (2025). Supporting teacher pedagogical wellbeing through teacher learning communities: A leadership perspective. Issues in Educational Research, 35(3), 1221-1240. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/sheahan.pdf