Improvements in climate and satisfaction after implementing a quality management system in education.

The overall aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of applying ISO:9001 on the school climate and satisfaction in schools. This was done by using a Likert-type evaluation instrument consisting of 21 items with an excellent reliability score for the general scale (Cronbach α = 0.955) and specifically for the school climate dimension (α = 0.969) and school satisfaction (α = 0.927). The instrument was applied to a sample of 2189 subjects (1881 teachers and 308 members of the school management team) at 85 schools in Spain where ISO:9001 has been implemented for at least 3 years. The results show that implementation of this QMS has generally had a medium level impact on school climate and on satisfaction among the teachers, students, and families at the schools in the sample. Moreover, descriptive and differential analyses have been carried out to identify any significant differences in the impact of implementing the QMS on improvements in the two dimensions as a function of the position, gender, seniority at the school, ownership, and size of the school, and length of time with the QMS implemented there. In addition, other analyses were carried out using single-variant general linear models that revealed an effect of interaction between the variables of position and age. Furthermore, cluster analyses were also performed to identify three teacher and management profiles attending to the levels of improvement brought about from implanting the QMS on the dimensions under study.

Do ISO:9001 standards and EFQM model differ in their impact on the external relations and communication system at schools?

Implementation of Quality Management Systems (QMS) has increased greatly in recent years at a wide variety of institutions. The main purpose of this work is to evaluate and compare the impact of having implemented ISO:9001 standards and the EFQM model on the communication system and external relations at schools. This was done by applying a validated evaluation instrument to 2901 subjects of 116 schools in 4 Spanish Autonomous Communities. The results show that the QMS have a medium-high level of impact on the communication system and a moderate level on the external relations dimension. Furthermore, schools with EFQM feature significantly higher levels of impact on the dimensions studied than schools implementing ISO standards. Significant differences were found in the levels of impact as a function of the number of years of implementation and the type of funding received, among other variables. In addition, an interaction effect was found between the type and size of schools in regard to their external relations.

The effect of interpersonal relationships on burnout síndrome in secondary eduation teachers / El efecto de las relaciones interpersonales en el síndrome de burnout del profesorado de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria

Background: Recent studies show that teachers, especially in Secondary Education present varying levels of burnout syndrome. This problem could be caused by internal factors unique to the subject (psychological characteristics) or external factors (overwork, social climate, etc.). Method: The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of interpersonal relationships on the development of burnout in a sample of 794 secondary education teachers from the Community of Madrid, applying structural equation modeling methodology. Results: it was observed that the teacher-student relationship has a significant effect on each of the three dimensions of the syndrome (exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy), and the teacher-superiors and teacher-coworker relationships show a moderate effect on these dimensions. Conclusions: The results show the importance of taking care of interpersonal relationships in schools to ensure the well-being of teachers and, ultimately, the quality of the learning process (AU)

Antecedentes: estudios recientes muestran que el profesorado, especialmente el de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria, presenta niveles variables del síndrome de burnout. Esta problemática puede estar originada en factores internos al sujeto (características psicológicas) o externos (exceso de trabajo, clima social, etc.). Método: este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar la influencia de las relaciones interpersonales en el desarrollo del burnout en una muestra de 794 profesores de ESO de la Comunidad de Madrid, mediante la aplicación de la metodología de Modelos de Ecuaciones Estructurales. Resultados: se observó que la Relación Profesor-Alumnos es la que tiene un efecto significativo en cada una de las tres dimensiones del síndrome (Agotamiento, Despersonalización y Realización), si bien las relaciones Profesor-Superiores y Profesor-Compañeros muestran un efecto moderado sobre ellas. Conclusiones: los resultados obtenidos muestran la importancia de cuidar las relaciones interpersonales en el centro para asegurar el bienestar del profesorado y, en última instancia, la calidad del proceso de aprendizaje (AU)

Evaluation of the impact of intervention programmes on education organisations: Application to a Quality Management System.

This paper analyses the importance of evaluating the various components of the programmes or actions carried out by education organisations. It highlights the need to assess the impact of the intervention on the organisation and consider how changes are consolidated over time in interaction with the context. We propose an impact evaluation model and as an example have chosen the implementation of Quality Management Systems in schools. The paper analyses the results obtained in 40 schools in three regions (Spanish Autonomous Communities) with varying levels of implementation. The results show overall impact on these education centres as the teachers and management teams of the centres perceive it. This impact is more evident in some of the dimensions considered in the study than in others. The results also confirm the differences between regional contexts.

Development and validation of a measuring instrument for burnout syndrome in teachers.

This paper is part of a research done on Burnout Syndrome, and its objective is to develop and validate an instrument for measuring the syndrome in Secondary School teachers, taking as a principal starting point Maslach, Schaufeli, and Leiter's theory (2001). After developing and testing the instrument on a sample of 794 teachers in the Community of Madrid (Spain), we analyzed the reliability, content and construct validity (the latter by means of Structural Equations Models implemented with Software AMOS 7.0). The reliability analysis (alpha = .911 for the total instrument; .849, .899 and .674 for the dimensions of Exhaustion, Reduced Personal Accomplishment and Depersonalization respectively) and the Confirmatory Factorial Analysis (CMIN/DF = 4.163, CFI = .904, RMSEA = .60, PRATIO = .874) showed highly satisfactory results. The discrimination coefficient scores for items in the final instrument ranged between .22 and .74. Thus, the instrument presented combines the necessary technical characteristics for it to be considered a valid and reliable tool for measuring the syndrome.

Development and validation of a measuring instrument for burnout syndrome in teachers

This paper is part of a research done on Burnout Syndrome, and its objective is to develop and validate an instrument for measuring the syndrome in Secondary School teachers, taking as a principal starting point Maslach, Schaufeli, and Leiter's theory (2001). After developing and testing the instrument on a sample of 794 teachers in the Community of Madrid (Spain), we analyzed the reliability, content and construct validity (the latter by means of Structural Equations Models implemented with Software AMOS 7.0). The reliability analysis (α = .911 for the total instrument; .849, .899 and .674 for the dimensions of Exhaustion, Reduced Personal Accomplishment and Depersonalization respectively) and the Confirmatory Factorial Analysis (CMIN/DF = 4.163, CFI = .904, RMSEA = .60, PRATIO = .874) showed highly satisfactory results. The discrimination coefficient scores for items in the final instrument ranged between .22 and .74. Thus, the instrument presented combines the necessary technical characteristics for it to be considered a valid and reliable tool for measuring the syndrome (AU)

El presente estudio forma parte de una investigación sobre el síndrome de Burnout y su objetivo, en este caso, es elaborar y validar un instrumento de medida del síndrome en profesores de Secundaria partiendo, principalmente, de la teoría de Maslach, Schaufeli, y Leiter (2001). Tras la elaboración y aplicación del instrumento a una muestra de 794 docentes de la Comunidad de Madrid, se analizó la fiabilidad, la validez de contenido y de constructo (ésta última a través de Modelos de Ecuaciones Estructurales con la aplicación informática AMOS 7.0). Los resultados obtenidos en el análisis de fiabilidad (α = .911 para la totalidad del instrumento, .849, .899 y .674 para las dimensiones de Agotamiento, Baja Realización y Despersonalización respectivamente) y en el Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio fueron altamente satisfactorios (CMIN/DF = 4.163, CFI = .904, RMSEA = .06, PRATIO = .874). Los valores del coeficiente de discriminación de los ítems del instrumento final oscilaron entre .22 y .74. Por todo ello, el instrumento presentado reúne las características técnicas exigidas para ser considerada una herramienta válida y fiable para medir el síndrome (AU)