Teachers' critical thinking in relation to the experience of victimisation in an educational institution and psychological well-being

Abstract

The importance of critical thinking as an opportunity to strengthen teachers' personal resources, which can potentially contribute to positive change in addressing their victimisation, should be noted. It is noted that critically thinking teachers not only educate a critically thinking younger generation, but also model critical attitudes in their own behaviour - they are open, reflective, recognise problems, and do not tolerate untruths or malicious actions. This project aims to uncover the links between teachers' critical thinking and the experience of victimisation in educational institutions and psychological well-being. The study combines a quantitative and qualitative research approach. A representative questionnaire survey will be carried out to assess the expression of teachers' critical thinking and the prevalence of teacher victimisation, as well as the relationship between teachers' critical thinking and victimisation. A phenomenographic study will be chosen to reveal the diversity of teachers' perceptions and experiences of violence. A qualitative comparative analysis of the legal environment in relation to the prevention of violence will be carried out in order to develop proposals for the prevention and intervention of teachers' victimisation in educational institutions, providing evidence-based solutions. Based on the results of the study, interdisciplinary public policy proposals will be developed. Based on the instruments validated and the findings of the study, a tool (e-tool) will be developed for individual use by teachers to identify potential victimisation by proposing problemsolving algorithms outside the field of teachers' critical thinking competences. The study will provide a comprehensive assessment of the situation of teacher victimisation in Lithuania and will reveal the main internal and external factors of teacher victimisation and their links to teachers' psychosocial well-being.