Author(s): GUDIN, M., BOURDILLON, N., CECE, V., GUILLET-DESCAS, E., LENTILLON-KAESTNER, V. , Institution: HEP VAUD, Country: SWITZERLAND, Abstract-ID: 2159

Background: Teachers' well-being is crucial for occupational health, educational quality, and career sustainability. Within the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) and Conservation of Resources (COR) frameworks, sustained job demands increase the risk of exhaustion and burnout, whereas organizational resources foster engagement and reduce burnout. In addition, personal resources help individuals cope with job demands and buffer their negative effects. Physical activity (PA) and lower sedentary behaviour (SB) are proposed as key personal resources in teacher well-being. To date, longitudinal evidence based on objective measures of PA and SB remains limited among teachers.

Objective: This longitudinal study aims to examine, over an academic year, (1) how job demands and organizational resources predict burnout and work engagement in tertiary-level teachers; (2) to test whether PA and SB act as buffers by moderating the impact of job demands on these trajectories.

Methods: Data were collected at five time points across one academic year among 37 tertiary-level teachers (54.3% women; mean age 47 years). Participants completed questionnaires on burnout, work engagement, job demands (e.g., workload), and organizational resources (e.g., decision-making autonomy, social support). PA and SB were objectively assessed via a smartwatch equipped with an accelerometer. Within-person change was analysed using multilevel regression models, estimated with robust maximum likelihood, testing direct effects of demands and resources and moderation by PA and SB.

Results: Higher job demands predicted increases in burnout over time, whereas greater perceived availability of organizational resources predicted higher engagement and lower burnout. When examining PA and SB, the improvement in model performance was driven primarily by light-intensity PA. In contrast, moderate-to-vigorous PA showed smaller model improvements. Higher PA and reduced SB moderated the impact of job demands on burnout and engagement and were also independently associated with lower burnout and higher engagement, suggesting protective effects beyond organizational resources.

Conclusions: Longitudinal findings suggest that PA and reduced SB function as personal resources that mitigate the effects of job demands and support sustained engagement among tertiary-level teachers. Interventions should strengthen organizational resources (e.g., autonomy and support) and redesign academic routines to reduce prolonged sitting and facilitate frequent light-intensity movement (e.g., active breaks, relaxation) throughout the workday.

Funding: Swiss national funding (No. 10HW-9_228550/1).