The impact of psychosocial risk factors on good teaching practices among university teachers in online education: A study in northwest Mexico

Abstract

Background

Psychosocial risk factors affecting the welfare of workers are present to varying degrees in all workplaces. In the context of universities, these risk factors negatively impact good teaching practices and, therefore, the learning process in classrooms, ultimately affecting student performance. Moreover, these risk factors could generate stress, anxiety, and absenteeism among teachers.

Objective

The primary objective of this article is to examine the influence of psychosocial risk factors, including communication at work, work environment conditions, and control over work, on good teaching practices in online courses. This analysis is performed using data from the higher education sector in northwest México.

Methods

The Reference Guide (GRII), created by the Official Mexican Standard (NOM-035), and a questionnaire on good teaching practices were applied to a sample of 253 teachers from the participating population. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. Finally, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the hypothesized relationships among constructs.

Results

The most important results of our study are that communication at work had a direct and positive effect on the work environment conditions and control over work. Additionally, these last two factors presented a direct and positive impact on good teaching practices.

Conclusions

After reviewing the outcomes of the structural model, it was concluded that understanding the relationships demonstrated in this study provides educational institutions with valuable information to implement well-defined strategies for achieving healthier working conditions for teachers, which in turn positively impacts good teaching practices in online courses.