Étude du soutien social mis en oeuvre lors d’activités collectives conçues et menées pour favoriser le développement du bien-être au travail chez les enseignants

This doctoral thesis in educational psychology focuses on the study of social support implemented during a group activity designed and conducted to promote the development of well-being at work among teachers. This qualitative multiple case study was conducted with eight reception class (French language classes for newly arrived immigrants in Quebec) teachers who participated in focus groups over a six-month period. Three main themes guided the organization of this research: psychological well-being at work, social support and the impact of the discussion groups. In order to collect the data, semi-directed interviews were conducted on psychological well-being at work according to Dagenais-Desmarais’s (2010) conception. These interviews took place before and after the teachers’ participation in group activities. The study of social support was then led in accordance with the three main dimensions associated with this concept according to Vaux (1990): supportive behaviors, network resources and subjective evaluation of support. The support behaviors carried out during the discussion groups were analyzed. Then, the resources of the teachers’ network, mainly associated with the group activity and its participants, were described. The dimension of subjective evaluation of support was documented in semi-directed interviews conducted after the eight discussion group sessions. In order to collect data on teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the group activity on their well-being at work, some questions from the second semi-structured interview after the group activity were also added on this theme.  This research, led in a systemic perspective, focuses on understanding the bidirectional relationship between the individual and his environment. Using Bronfenbrenner and Morris’s (1998) processperson- context-time model, social support is studied as a process, psychological well-being in the workplace is associated with the person component, speech groups and the work environment of reception class teachers represent the context and time is studied as underlying all of these elements. The results of this thesis are organized to highlight the singularity of the cases through their individual presentation, in addition to identifying similarities and dissimilarities between the participants through cross-analysis. The research data allows us to draw a portrait of the psychological well-being at work of the participants. In addition to providing a detailed account of the state of the participants as well as the work context with the challenges and issues associated with teaching newly arrived allophone students, the results highlight a division between the host programs and the “regular” programs within the school. This split has repercussions on all dimensions of psychological well-being in the workplace (interpersonal suitability, sense of competence, fulfillment, willingness to commit and perceived recognition in the workplace). Data analysis also illustrates the importance and complexity of social relationships in the teaching context.  Concerning social support, in addition to reporting on the supportive behaviors given and received by participants, the results highlight indirect social support. Participants reported receiving support that was not directed to them. Thus, social support given by a participant could be relevant to more than one member of the group and be available in the group without being provoked. In addition, the ties forged in the focus group may have fostered the establishment of a support network represented by the activity and the environment created by the activity, as well as by the participants. The increase in the size of the support network was also mentioned by teachers outside the activity. Both the subjective evaluation of support and the study of the impact of the discussion groups on well-being highlighted a second process: the sharing of experiences. While discussion groups from a psychodynamic perspective aiming to bring individuals together around a common issue, the sharing of experiences allowed by the activity’s framework was frequently named as promoting the development of well-being.  The innovative nature of this research lies in the arrangement of the concepts and in the precision of its analysis of the social support implemented during collective activities designed and conducted to promote the development of well-being in the workplace. In addition to the theoretical and conceptual advances proposed, the results have important practical implications. By detailing the context in which teachers work in reception class, but also by the implementation of collective activities in the school, this thesis proposes avenues for teacher training, school governance, principals and teachers.

Keyphrases: Social support, Workplace well-being, Teacher, Group activity, Discussion group, Reception class, Systemic, Bioecological model