Professional competence as an intervening variable affecting work-related stress: the case of public school teachers in Italy.

Objective of the research was to study work-related stress among school teachers in a primary public school in Northern Italy. Work-related stress was studied not only as the process arising when work demands of various types and combinations exceed the person’s capacity and capability to cope (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), but where the organisation, and in particular the school system, is not able to respond to the daily workers’ needs and demands (Clot, 2006). Under this framework and in line with studies on moderating effects of commitment on job satisfaction (Begley & Czajka, 1993), the research studied whether in school teachers the professional competence might play a role in affecting work-related stress. The study is nowadays, more than ever, of interest: after the structural reforms carried out by the Italian Minister of Education Ms. Gelmini, affecting the entire educational system and directly the school teachers (2009); in compliance with the Italian legislative decree 81/2008 (art. 28) and the European autonomous framework agreement on work-related stress (2004); taking into account few studies investigating the specific subject (Bhagat & Allie, 1989; Favretto & Comucci Tajoli, 1988; Pedditzi, 2005). The project researched the hypothesis that “competent” school teachers might perceive an added stress-strain source from a school environment unable to valorise their capabilities and involve them as resources of value for a school of quality; on the contrary, “less-competent” teachers, who deliver their activities without enthusiasm and dynamism, might be less affected by frustration and dissatisfaction. The identified school teachers sample was classified in “competent” and “less-competent” based on the colleagues’ assessment according to the social validation of professional competence (Re, 1990). To both “competent” and “less-competent” school teachers sub-samples was distributed a questionnaire (Favretto, 1994; Favretto & Comucci Tajoli, 1988) consisting of four sections: personal data; comments on own workplace; self-assessment on own competence; perceived state of health and wellbeing. The results confirmed that professional competence is an intervening factor able to affect the relation with stressors present in the work place and the perceived strain. The research provides interesting elements to plan preventive and ameliorative interventions in complex organisations. A study considering a wider sample to prove the research results is in progress.