Page 1 of 17
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 1
Publication Date: January 25, 2023
DOI:10.14738/assrj.101.13837.
Ianniello, A., & Corona, F. (2023). Investigating Subjective Well-being. A Quantitative Study on Special Education Teachers’ Life
Satisfaction. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, Vol - 10(1). 359-375.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Investigating Subjective Well-being. A Quantitative Study on
Special Education Teachers’ Life Satisfaction.
Annalisa Ianniello
Didactics and Special Pedagogy Department of Humanities,
Philosophy and Education, University of Salerno (Italy)
Felice Corona
Didactics and Special Pedagogy, Department of Humanities,
Philosophy and Education, University of Salerno (Italy)
ABSTRACT
Teachers are the architects of society [1]. A teacher who is satisfied with her life
plays a vital role in the elevation of equal and inclusive societies. This study aims to
determine the life satisfaction perceptions of special education teachers in Italy.
The study was conducted with a sample of 394 teachers from Campania, belonging
to all school levels. (Preschool, Primary, Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary
school). In this study the descriptive survey model was used. To collect the data, the
Satisfaction with Life Scale developed by Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin (1985)
[2], administered in the already validated Italian version [3], was used. The data
were analysed with the SPSS program following the scoring indications of the
instrument. The results show that most of the interviewees fall into the brackets
expressing satisfaction (from very satisfied to averagely satisfied), while only 37
teachers (equal to 9% of the total) were below the average bracket.
Keyword: Inclusion, Subjective Well-being, Life Satisfaction, Special Education Teacher.
INTRODUCTION
The Sars-Cov-2 pandemic has affected various aspects of individual lives and social
organization. The health crisis has also brought about profound transformations in the world
of education, posing new challenges and demands on teachers [4].
The roles and responsibilities of teachers have become increasingly complex, especially for
special education teachers called to create inclusive educational pathways, to respond to a
range of specific educational needs (SED): learning, emotional, physical and mental health,
which require personalized attention on a daily basis [6]1. In this sense, special education
teachers are required to outline individualized educational plans and personalized teaching
plans, considering the differences of each student [7-8]. Professional pressures, constant
relating to students who experience hardship and suffering, frequent exposure to emotionally
demanding situations, the difficulty of teaching new functional behaviours feed conditions of
stress, which can lead special education teachers to a greater risk of burnout emotional or
energy depletion [9]. In this regard, countless research studies have reported a higher rate of
1 A condition that on the eve of the pandemic (2019/20 school year) affected around 300,000 students in Italy
(3.5% of the total), based on data published by the national statistics institute [5].
Page 2 of 17
360
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 1, January-2023
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
career attrition, demotivation, and dissatisfaction than general education teachers [10-11-12].
As a result, the mental health of special education teachers has received much attention,
particularly in terms of well-being [10-13-14]
Well-being is a multidimensional concept that includes cognitive, affective, physical and mental
components [15]. In this regard, studies on the construct of well-being have been divided into
two major strands: hedonic and eudaimonic [16]. The first strand, attributable to the model
developed by Edward Francis Diener, an internationally renowned American researcher,
envisages a hierarchical structure at the top of which is the construct of subjective well-being.
For Diener (1999), subjective well-being (SWB) is identifiable in our sense of well-being: in “a
person who feels and thinks that their life is desirable regardless of how others see it” [17].
Subjective well-being is conceived as a broad and multidimensional construct, as it includes
both affective (1. Positive affect; 2. Negative affect) and cognitive (3. Domain Specific
Satisfaction; 4. Life Satisfaction) components.
Life Satisfaction: Literature Reviews and Research Framework
Among the constitutive components of subjective well-being, Life Satisfaction (LS) has been
identified as a distinct construct that represents a global cognitive assessment of one's Quality
of Life [18]. It represents an evaluative judgment related to - but partially independent of - the
affective aspects of subjective well-being.
Tatarkiewicz (1978) implicitly provides Diener (1984) with the theoretical basis for the Life
Satisfaction construct, for research in subjective well-being. Specifically, Tatarkiewicz defines
with Happiness a particular form of satisfaction that responds to three fundamental conditions:
1. it must represent full and complete satisfaction
2. must be about life as a whole;
3. it must be durable, so that it affect’s life completely [19].
Appleton & Song (2007) argue that life satisfaction comprises six different components,
ordered as follows: 1. income; 2. occupation and social status; 3. opportunities and social
mobility; 4. social security benefits; 5. government policy; 6. environment, family and social
relationships [20]. Life satisfaction is therefore not related to a single specific domain. For
example, for Veenhoven (1996) if an individual is satisfied with his job (specific domain / DS)
it does not mean that he is satisfied with her life. Job satisfaction can indeed increase life
satisfaction levels but does not replace it because Life Satisfaction concerns the perception of
all areas of life lived [21]. In this sense, according to Budh & Osteraker (2007) Life Satisfaction
is a subjective and general estimate of satisfaction of physical, social and psychological aspects
[22]. For Veenhoven (1996) it is a global assessment of a person's Quality of Life: "life
satisfaction can be defined as the level of the positive development of all qualities of life as a whole"
[21]. For Myers & Diener (1995) the detection of positive evaluations of life - higher than
negative evaluations - indicates that the Quality of Life of the individual is high [23]. Diener
takes up the definition of Life Satisfaction (LS) from Shin & Johnson (1978) who describe it as
a judgment process, in which individuals evaluate the Quality of their Life according to their
own criteria and personal value priorities [24]. According to the author, a comparison of the
perceived living circumstances with self-imposed standards or set criterias is made, and to the
extent that the living conditions correspond to these standards, the person reports high
satisfaction [17]. Satisfaction with life is, therefore, an assessment of the Quality of Life
Page 3 of 17
361
Ianniello, A., & Corona, F. (2023). Investigating Subjective Well-being. A Quantitative Study on Special Education Teachers’ Life Satisfaction. Advances
in Social Sciences Research Journal, Vol - 10(1). 359-375.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.101.13837
according to criteria that the individual has identified for himself, which he himself has
determined. Diener therefore highlights the dynamic structure of the construct, which can vary
according to the living conditions lived and personal standards [25-17]. Therefore, it is a
conscious cognitive judgment; represents an account of how a respondent rates her life as a
whole because it allows people to rate domains of their lives as a whole. It aims - for Diener
(2006) - to represent a broad and reflective evaluation [26], a result that is obtained by
comparing personal expectations to the extent that they have been satisfied.
For Glass (1999) life satisfaction is an evaluation based on the correspondence of goals and
personal results [27]. Also, for Koivuma-Honkanen et al. (2001) a person is usually satisfied
when he manages to achieve pre-established goals (including professional goals), if there is a
harmonious correspondence between personal goals and results achieved [28]. For Krause
(2004) the more an individual's goals are in harmony with her results, the higher is her level of
Life Satisfaction [29].
Countless scientific studies have been conducted to detect correlation hypotheses between the
levels of perceived Life Satisfaction and the general variables involved in the teaching-learning
process. Lewis et al. (2011) explored the relationship between life satisfaction and student
engagement in adolescence, in which a statistically significant bidirectional relationship was
found between life satisfaction and learners' cognitive engagement [30]. Suldo & Huebner
(2006) investigated the relationship between life satisfaction and adaptive psychosocial
functioning of learners, highlighting that low levels of LS correlate with problem behaviour and
emotional difficulties [31]. While Maddux (2002) examined the relationship to self-efficacy,
Suldo & Huebner (2004) explored life satisfaction judgments as predictors of disruptive
behaviour and moderators of student stressful events [31]. Furthermore, Gilman & Huebner
(2006) found correlations with the academic achievement, intrapersonal and interpersonal
functioning of the learners involved in the research study [32].
Student performance according to Maslach & Leiter (1999) is positively influenced by satisfied
teachers, which stimulate more social interactions [33]. Braun, Schonert-Reichl & Roeser
(2020) found that teachers' life satisfaction is also a significant predictor of students' prosocial
behaviour, [34] which is related to the establishment of inclusive processes. These assumptions
corroborate tout court the interest in surveying the Life Satisfaction of special education
teachers in Italy.
Life Satisfaction (LS) and Teaching Professionalism
Steyn (2006) believes that the effectiveness of any education system largely depends on the
satisfaction of the teachers employed in the school structure [35]. For Shyim & Korb (2016) the
Life Satisfaction of teachers - key players in the education and training sector - influences
performance in their careers, can have a negative or positive impact on the lives of learners
(even with SED) and plays an essential role in the overall achievement of each nation's
educational goals [36].
Umme (1999) suggests that Life Satisfaction affects professional performance [37]. Satisfied
teachers tend to be more helpful and productive; perform their profession more efficiently.
According to Akomolafe & Ogunmakin (2014) satisfied teachers usually have a high degree of
professional competence; they feel qualified in terms of knowledge and skills and have feelings