Abstract
Teacher wellbeing is important, not least for the role teachers play in supporting students’ social, emotional, physical, and academic wellbeing. Effective teachers need to be physically and mentally healthy however much of the research about this focuses on burnout or stress and the deficits these create, rather than what keeps teachers well. This research examined how teachers conceptualise positive wellbeing. We refer to influential ecological influences that support and sustain teachers as the bridge building necessary to support long-term, sustainable teacher wellbeing, as opposed to stop-gap band-aid fixes. A scoping review identified 52 studies from the extant literature identified ecological factors (individual, relational and contextual) that impact teacher wellbeing. Three interrelated themes provide a basis to examine first, influential individual factors shaping teachers’ wellbeing; second, relational factors characterising teachers’ work; and third, contemporary contextual factors associated with enhancing or eroding teacher wellbeing. Analysis shows enhanced teacher wellbeing as a dynamic interplay and interconnectedness of influential factors that promote, support and it (bridge building), where all weight-bearing components (influential factors) are essential to integrity of the overall structure (teacher wellbeing). In the absence of positive influential factors other components become weak and vulnerable and weaken the entire structure (impacting negatively on overall wellbeing). A focus on distinct factors of wellbeing, viewed in isolation or without regard for its broader ecology emphasise what we refer to as band-aid responses. These are characteristically short-term solutions that initially provide relief but have limited long-term efficacy or sustainability. This review contributes to enhanced understanding of contextual factors influencing teacher wellbeing and what fosters and supports meaningful, long-term, systematic wellbeing initiatives.