The study also explored which jobs are most likely to cause ‘optimal flow experience’, a concept identified by a leading academic and increasingly recognised by psychologists and management experts, which measures the enjoyment, concentration and absorption in a task.
The research showed that teachers are more likely to experience these enjoyable ‘highs’ than people working in comparable careers. Nearly half (44 per cent) of teachers said they experience this regularly, in contrast to 34 per cent of people working in other professions.
This is confirmed by the 63 per cent of teachers who reported that they often or always find themselves totally immersed in their work. One in five said that they never think about anything else other than the job in hand.
According to the teachers interviewed and surveyed, many factors make their job enjoyable. They cited the buzz around the corridors, working with young people, the satisfaction gained from feedback from pupils and the nature of the school year as contributing to their happiness.
Interaction with pupils featured high on the list of reasons why teaching is enjoyable, with 80 per cent saying the best aspect of their job was engaging with young people. Ninety three per cent cited the sense of achievement which working with pupils offers.
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