Subject-specific factors interacting with mathematics teacher wellbeing

A scoping review

Abstract

A global concern over the shortage and high attrition rates of mathematics teachers is frequently linked with teachers’ wellbeing struggles. While there exist general frameworks of teacher wellbeing, they often overlook the subject specific challenges that mathematics teachers face. This scoping review of 20 years of research explores how mathematics interacts with teacher wellbeing conceptualised through both hedonic and eudemonic lenses. Key findings show that weak subject knowledge, low mathematical confidence, past negative experiences with mathematics, and curriculum pressures heighten mathematics teacher stress, frustration and anxiety. Conversely, strong subject knowledge, meaningful subject specific professional development, as well as students’ engagement with mathematics and developing conceptual understanding of the content enhance teacher feelings of enjoyment, happiness and pride. Importantly, the review emphasises tensions experienced by mathematics teachers related to misalignments between curriculum, policy and teacher beliefs around mathematics as a discipline and, consequently, effective mathematics pedagogy. These tensions, which seem to align with the dichotomised narratives around mathematics, show to have significant implications for mathematics teacher wellbeing. The review highlights the urgent need for subject-specific frameworks to better support mathematics teachers, arguing that, without addressing the nuanced subject specific pressures that mathematics teachers face, efforts to improve mathematics teachers’ wellbeing might remain ineffective.