Neuropsychological and affective assessment of teachers over 50 years old before and after an ICT-focused training program: Improved job satisfaction and links with affective factors

Fernando Ferreira-Santos

doi:10.21814/rpe.21925

Authors

Fernando Ferreira-Santos Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2656-5291

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21814/rpe.21925

Keywords:

Active Aging, Teachers, Executive Function, Neuropsychology, Job Satisfaction

Abstract

The aging of the population raises several social and health related issues and is particularly high in Europe, where policies promoting Active Aging are being pursued. In Education, the aging of the teaching workforce poses significant challenges to the profession. The REKINDLE+50 project developed a training program on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) use for teachers with the parallel intent of promoting the abilities and motivation of teachers over 50 years old. Here we report on the pre- and post-test assessment of neuropsychological abilities (“cool” and “hot” executive functions), self-reported affective functioning and job satisfaction. We found that the training program was associated with increased satisfaction with the nature of the teachers’ work and with material working conditions. There were no significant changes in neuropsychological nor affective measures before and after the program. We also found that job satisfaction was positively associated with “hot” executive functions and negatively linked to affective symptoms (sub-clinical anxiety and depression). These findings, although tentative, suggest that the training program had a positive impact on teacher job satisfaction, and may have potential implications for the promotion of active aging in teachers. Overall, the aging of teachers remains a challenge for the future. The policies for promoting Active Aging provide a strategic outlook on how to tackle this issue, but a more detailed understanding of age-related cognitive and affective changes is likely required to devise effective measures.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Admiraal, W., Veldman, I., Mainhard, T., & van Tartwijk, J. (2019). A typology of veteran teachers’ job satisfaction: Their relationships with their students and the nature of their work. Social Psychology of Education, 22(2), 337-355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-018-09477-z

Alves, K., & Lopes, A. (2016). Professores e o envelhecimento: Realidades e especificidades. Trabalho & Educação, 25(2), 61-77. https://periodicos.ufmg.br/index.php/trabedu/article/view/9511

Alves, K., Lopes, A., & Pereira, F. (2020). Ser um professor experiente não é sempre uma felicidade: Perspectivas de professores sobre o envelhecimento. Série-Estudos, 25(55), 279-301. https://doi.org/10.20435/serie-estudos.v0i0.1418

Aschwanden, D., Schumacher, V., Zimmermann, K., Werner, C., Allemand, M., Zimprich, D., & Martin, M. (2019). Do professors better maintain cognitive functioning in older age? GeroPsych, 32(1), 5-17. https://doi.org/10.1024/1662-9647/a000201

Bardach, L., & Klassen, R. M. (2020). Smart teachers, successful students? A systematic review of the literature on teachers’ cognitive abilities and teacher effectiveness. Educational Research Review, 30, 100312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100312

Bechara, A., Damasio, A. R., Damasio, H., & Anderson, S. W. (1994). Insensitivity to future consequences following damage to human prefrontal cortex. Cognition, 50(1-3), 7-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(94)90018-3

Borges, S. L., & Daniel, F. (2009). Satisfação profissional dos docentes: Uma abordagem sobre instrumentos de medida. Interacções, 9(16), 101-130. https://www.interacoes-ismt.com/index.php/revista/article/view/6

Caselli, R. J., Locke, D. E. C., Dueck, A. C., Knopman, D. S., Woodruff, B. K., Hoffman-Snyder, C., Rademakers, R., Fleisher, A. S., & Reiman, E. M. (2014). The neuropsychology of normal aging and preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 10(1), 84-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2013.01.004

Cattell, R. B. (1963). Theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence: A critical experiment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 54(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0046743

Cavaco, S., Gonçalves, A., Pinto, C., Almeida, E., Gomes, F., Moreira, I., Fernandes, J., & Teixeira-Pinto, A. (2013). Trail Making Test: Regression-based norms for the Portuguese population. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 28(2), 189-198. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acs115

Conselho Nacional de Educação. (2019). Estado da educação 2018. https://www.cnedu.pt/pt/publicacoes/estado-da-educacao/1527-estado-da-educacao-2019

Costa, A. (2021). Uma experiência com o EdPuzzle no contexto da Física e Química. In A. Mouraz, A. Lopes, J. C. Morgado, & A. Monteiro (Eds.), Migrações digitais e inovação curricular: Sobre experiências de professores com mais de 50 anos (pp. 127-135). Whitebooks.

Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64(1), 135-168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

Dickstein, D. L., Kabaso, D., Rocher, A. B., Luebke, J. I., Wearne, S. L., & Hof, P. R. (2007). Changes in the structural complexity of the aged brain. Aging Cell, 6(3), 275-284. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-9726.2007.00289.x

Dirnagl, U. (2020). Resolving the tension between exploration and confirmation in preclinical biomedical research. In A. Bespalov, M. C. Michel, & T. Steckler (Eds.), Good research practice in non-clinical pharmacology and biomedicine (pp. 71-79). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/164_2019_278

Dotta, L. T., Monteiro, A., & Mouraz, A. (2019). Professores experientes e o uso das tecnologias digitais: Mitos, crenças e práticas. EduSer, 11(1), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.34620/eduser.v11i1.124

European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs. (2018). The 2018 ageing report: Economic & budgetary projections for the 28 EU Member States (2016-2070). European Commission. https://doi.org/10.2765/615631

Fernández-Berrocal, P., Gutiérrez-Cobo, M. J., Rodriguez-Corrales, J., & Cabello, R. (2017). Teachers’ affective well-being and teaching experience: The protective role of perceived emotional intelligence. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2227. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02227

Firmino, N. (2021). Produção de um Digital Storytelling relativo à temática da alimentação saudável. In A. Mouraz, A. Lopes, J. C. Morgado, & A. Monteiro (Eds.), Migrações digitais e inovação curricular: Sobre experiências de professores com mais de 50 anos (pp. 107-112). Whitebooks.

Fjell, A. M., Westlye, L. T., Grydeland, H., Amlien, I., Espeseth, T., Reinvang, I., Raz, N., Holland, D., Dale, A. M., & Walhovd, K. B. (2013). Critical ages in the life course of the adult brain: Nonlinear subcortical aging. Neurobiology of Aging, 34(10), 2239-2247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.04.006

Gonçalves, A. R., Fernandes, C., Pasion, R., Ferreira-Santos, F., Barbosa, F., & Marques-Teixeira, J. (2018). Effects of age on the identification of emotions in facial expressions: A meta-analysis. PeerJ, 6, e5278. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5278

Hartshorne, J. K., & Germine, L. T. (2015). When does cognitive functioning peak? The asynchronous rise and fall of different cognitive abilities across the life span. Psychological Science, 26(4), 433-443. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614567339

Head, D., Rodrigue, K. M., Kennedy, K. M., & Raz, N. (2008). Neuroanatomical and cognitive mediators of age-related differences in episodic memory. Neuropsychology, 22(4), 491-507. https://doi.org/10.1037/0894-4105.22.4.491

Hof, P. R., & Morrison, J. H. (2004). The aging brain: Morphomolecular senescence of cortical circuits. Trends in Neurosciences, 27(10), 607-613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2004.07.013

Ingersoll, R. (2009). The aging teaching workforce: A snapshot. Age distribution of public school teachers, by state, 2003-2004. In National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED508147

Jaeger, R. G., & Halliday, T. R. (1998). On confirmatory versus exploratory research. Herpetologica, 54, S64–S66. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3893289

Jagger, C., Parker, M., Blagojevic-Bucknall, M., & Wilkie, R. (2020). Retirement age is increasing –But our new study reveals most only work ten years in good health after 50. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/retirement-age-is-increasing-but-our-new-study-reveals-most-only-work-ten-years-in-good-health-after-50-141227

Kini, T., & Podolsky, A. (2016). Does teaching experience increase teacher effectiveness? A review of the research. Learning Policy Institute.

Klaassen, E. B., Plukaard, S., Evers, E. A. T., de Groot, R. H. M., Backes, W. H., Veltman, D. J., & Jolles, J. (2016). Young and middle-aged schoolteachers differ in the neural correlates of memory encoding and cognitive fatigue: A functional MRI study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10, 148. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00148

Lencastre, J. A., Morgado, J. C., Freires, T., & Bento, M. (2020). A systematic review on the flipped classroom model as a promoter of curriculum innovation. International Journal of Instruction, 13(4), 575-592. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.13436a

Lester, P. E. (1987). Development and factor analysis of the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (TJSQ). Educational and Psychological Measurement, 47(1), 223-233. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164487471031

Liotta, G., Canhão, H., Cenko, F., Cutini, R., Vellone, E., Illario, M., Kardas, P., Poscia, A., Sousa, R. D., Palombi, L., & Marazzi, M. C. (2018). Active ageing in Europe: Adding healthy life to years. Frontiers in Medicine, 5, 123. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2018.00123

Mather, M. (2012). The emotion paradox in the aging brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1251(1), 33-49. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06471.x

McNally, R. J. (2009). Anxiety. In D. Sander & K. R. Scherer (Eds.), Oxford companion to emotion and the affective sciences (pp. 32-35). Oxford University Press.

Meister, D. G., & Ahrens, P. (2011). Resisting plateauing: Four veteran teachers’ stories. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(4), 770-778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.01.002

Monteiro, A., & Carqueja, P. (2021). Professores veteranos, tecnologias digitais e ambientes educativos inovadores: Oportunidades e desafios. In A. Mouraz (Ed.), Migrações digitais e inovação curricular: Sobre experiências de professores com mais de 50 anos (pp. 55-75). Whitebooks.

Moreira, H. S., Lima, C. F., & Vicente, S. G. (2014). Examining executive dysfunction with the Institute of Cognitive Neurology (INECO) Frontal Screening (IFS): Normative values from a healthy sample and clinical utility in Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 42(1), 261-273. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-132348

Morgado, J. C., Lencastre, J. A., Bento, M., & Freires, T. (2021). Processos e práticas de integração da tecnologia em contextos educativos: O contributo dos professores “veteranos”. In A. Mouraz, A. Lopes, J. C. Morgado, & A. Monteiro (Eds.), Migrações digitais e inovação curricular: Sobre experiências de professores com mais de 50 anos (pp. 33-53). Whitebooks.

Mouraz, A., Lopes, A., Morgado, J. C., & Monteiro, A. (Eds.). (2021). Migrações digitais e inovação curricular: Sobre experiências de professores com mais de 50 anos. Whitebooks.

Mueller, S. T. (2012). PEBL - The Psychology Experiment Building Language (0.13) [Computer software]. http://pebl.sourceforge.net

Mueller, S. T., & Piper, B. J. (2014). The Psychology Experiment Building Language (PEBL) and PEBL Test Battery. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 222, 250-259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2013.10.024

Nashiro, K., Sakaki, M., & Mather, M. (2012). Age differences in brain activity during emotion processing: Reflections of age-related decline or increased emotion regulation? Gerontology, 58(2), 156-163. https://doi.org/10.1159/000328465

National Institute on Aging. (2011). Biology of aging: Research today for a healthier tomorrow. http://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo46777

Pais-Ribeiro, J., Silva, I., Ferreira, T., Martins, A., Meneses, R., & Baltar, M. (2007). Validation study of a Portuguese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 12(2), 225-237. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548500500524088

Pasion, R., Gonçalves, A. R., Fernandes, C., Ferreira-Santos, F., Barbosa, F., & Marques-Teixeira, J. (2017). Meta-analytic evidence for a reversal learning effect on the Iowa Gambling Task in older adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1785. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01785

Paulo, A. C., Sampaio, A., Santos, N. C., Costa, P. S., Cunha, P., Zihl, J., Cerqueira, J., Palha, J. A., & Sousa, N. (2011). Patterns of cognitive performance in healthy ageing in Northern Portugal: A cross-sectional analysis. PLoS ONE, 6(9), e24553. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024553

Power, M. J. (2009). Depression. In D. Sander & K. R. Scherer (Eds.), Oxford companion to emotion and the affective sciences (pp. 155-158). Oxford University Press.

Salat, D. H. (2011). The declining infrastructure of the aging brain. Brain Connectivity, 1(4), 279-293. https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2011.0056

Saris, I. M. J., Aghajani, M., van der Werff, S. J. A., van der Wee, N. J. A., & Penninx, B. W. J. H. (2017). Social functioning in patients with depressive and anxiety disorders. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 136(4), 352-361. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.12774

Seco, G. (2000). A satisfação na actividade docente [Doctoral dissertation, Universidade de Coimbra]. IC-Online. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/217

Shimamura, A. P., Berry, J. M., Mangels, J. A., Rusting, C. L., & Jurica, P. J. (1995). Memory and cognitive abilities in university professors: Evidence for successful aging. Psychological Science, 6(5), 271-277. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1995.tb00510.x

Strauss, E., Sherman, E. M. S., & Spreen, O. (2006). A compendium of neuropsychological tests: Administration, norms, and commentary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.

Toescu, E. C. (2005). Normal brain ageing: Models and mechanisms. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 360(1464), 2347-2354. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2005.1771

Torralva, T., Roca, M., Gleichgerrcht, E., López, P., & Manes, F. (2009). INECO Frontal Screening (IFS): A brief, sensitive, and specific tool to assess executive functions in dementia. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 15(5), 777-786. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617709990415

Vanderaspoilden, V., & Morais, J. (2001). Memory aging in university professors. Current Psychology Letters: Behaviour, Brain & Cognition, 6, 41-56. https://doi.org/10.4000/cpl.198

Varela, R., della Santa, R., Silveira, H., Matos, A. C., Rolo, D., Areosa, J., & Leher, R. (2018). Inquérito nacional sobre as condições de vida e trabalho na educação em Portugal (INCVTE). Federação Nacional dos Professores (FENPROF).

Veldman, I., Admiraal, W., van Tartwijk, J., Mainhard, T., & Wubbels, T. (2016). Veteran teachers’ job satisfaction as a function of personal demands and resources in the relationships with their students. Teachers and Teaching, 22(8), 913-926. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2016.1200546

World Health Organization. (2002). Active ageing: A policy framework. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/67215

World Health Organization. (2015). World report on ageing and health. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/186463

Zelazo, P. D., & Carlson, S. M. (2012). Hot and cool executive function in childhood and adolescence: Development and plasticity. Child Development Perspectives, 6(4), 354-360. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00246.x