Fostering Organizational Empowerment: Impact of an Intervention Program on Stress Management and Physical Activity Motivation among Teachers in Portugal and Brazil

Leandro Mariano, Hélder Simões, Sonia Brito-Costa () and Ana Paula Amaral
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Leandro Mariano: Coimbra Health School, Polytechnic of Coimbra, 3040-854 Coimbra, Portugal
Hélder Simões: Coimbra Health School, Polytechnic of Coimbra, 3040-854 Coimbra, Portugal
Sonia Brito-Costa: Research Group in Social and Human Sciences (NICSH), Coimbra Education School, Polytechnic of Coimbra, 3045-043 Coimbra, Portugal
Ana Paula Amaral: Coimbra Health School, Polytechnic of Coimbra, 3040-854 Coimbra, Portugal

Administrative Sciences, 2023, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: Teaching is one of the hardest occupations according to the International Organization of Teachers (IOT), affecting teachers’ emotional and physical well-being and impacting their professional performance. Intervention programs addressing this issue usually result in a significant reduction in stress and an improvement in teachers’ entire quality of life. Physical activity has been recognized as a critical aspect of non-pharmaceutical stress-reduction measures, favorably improving mental health. This quasi-experimental study used pre- and post-intervention assessments to assess the impact of a physical exercise promotion program on stress levels and motivation for regular physical activity among teachers in the first six years of schooling in Portugal and Brazil. This study included 33 instructors from both countries’ educational institutions in an 8-week intervention that included 40 sessions of cardiorespiratory conditioning, muscle strengthening and stretching, relaxation, and meditation techniques. The Stress Perception Scale (EPS-10) and the Motivation Inventory for Regular Physical Activity Practice (IMPRAF-54) were used to assess participants. The findings show a strong link between years of teaching experience and stress levels. After the intervention, there were statistically significant changes in stress levels and motivation to engage in physical exercise. Specifically, 78.9% of teachers reported less stress, and the respondents felt more motivated to exercise for stress control (84.4%), for competitiveness (97%), and for aesthetic enhancement (57.6%). In summary, this study suggests that exercise is an excellent way to reduce stress and increase enthusiasm for physical activity, with Portuguese teachers outperforming their Brazilian counterparts.

Keywords: stress; physical exercise; teaching activity; physical intervention program (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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