Door Janne Van Cauter
Krantenkoppen over burn-outs, administratiedruk en lerarentekort vullen steeds vaker het Vlaamse nieuws. Tegelijk voeren beleidsmakers hervormingen door die de druk in de klas nog verder opdrijven. Het Vlaamse onderwijs kraakt, maar hoe beleven leerkrachten deze druk? Raken ze erdoor uitgedaagd en gemotiveerd, of groeit vooral het gevoel van overbelasting? En wat betekent dat voor hun wil om in het onderwijs te blijven? Mijn onderzoek zoekt uit hoe werklast, motivatie en de intentie om te vertrekken samenhangen.
Werkdruk: de olifant in de leraarskamer
Volgens de recentste Vlaamse Werkbaarheidsmonitor vindt minder dan de helft van de onderwijspersoneelsleden hun job nog ‘werkbaar’. Dat betekent: haalbaar, motiverend en met een gezonde balans tussen werk en privé. Wat maakt het zo zwaar? Vooral de administratieve planlast, de grote diversiteit in de klas en de almaar groeiende verwachtingen van ouders en overheid. Leerkrachten worstelen met zowel de hoeveelheid werk (van lesvoorbereidingen en rapporten tot oudercontacten en vergaderingen) als met de emotionele belasting van omgaan met leerlingproblemen, veeleisende ouders en maatschappelijke druk. Het werk stopt allang niet meer om vier uur en vooral bij beginnende leerkrachten is die mentale belasting groot.
Meer werk, meer uitstroom
Hoe hoger de werklast, hoe groter de kans dat leerkrachten overwegen om hun job te verlaten. Dat blijkt uit mijn onderzoek bij 346 Vlaamse leerkrachten in het basis- en secundair onderwijs. Dit sluit aan bij de logica van het zogenaamde Job Demands-Resources-model: als de werklast te zwaar wordt en er te weinig steun of hulpbronnen zijn, raken mensen uitgeput. Blijft dat evenwicht zoek, dan groeit de drang om te vertrekken.
De kracht van motivatie, ook bij hoge werklast?
Toch draait het niet alleen om werklast. Ook intrinsieke motivatie speelt mee. Leerkrachten die hun job echt graag doen, uit passie, overtuiging of gewoon plezier in lesgeven, denken minder snel aan vertrekken. Dat zie ik ook in mijn onderzoek: hoe hoger de intrinsieke motivatie, hoe lager de intentie om te vertrekken. Wie intrinsiek gemotiveerd is, ervaart meer voldoening en werkplezier ondanks de uitdagingen, en blijft vaker aan boord.
Maar werkt motivatie ook als het écht zwaar wordt? Ik onderzocht of intrinsieke motivatie het negatieve effect van een hoge werklast kan verzachten. Met andere woorden: houdt motivatie een leerkracht overeind, ook als de werkdruk oploopt? Het antwoord is genuanceerd. Hoewel gemotiveerde leerkrachten minder vaak de intentie hebben om te vertrekken, vond mijn onderzoek geen duidelijk bewijs dat motivatie die impact van werklast echt afremt. De cijfers wijzen in de juiste richting, maar het effect bleek niet significant. Dat betekent dat het verschil in het onderzoek niet sterk genoeg is om er harde conclusies uit te trekken.
Mensen maken het verschil
Elke leerkracht die vertrekt, laat een lege plek achter in de klas. Het is een klap voor de leerlingen en voor het schoolteam. Het Vlaamse onderwijs kent een grote vrijwillige uitstroom en vooral beginnende leerkrachten haken snel af. Zo draait de vicieuze cirkel verder: minder mensen voor de klas betekent meer werk voor wie blijft, wat het risico op nieuwe uitstroom alleen maar vergroot. In tijden van lerarentekorten en dalende PISA-scores komt de onderwijskwaliteit hierdoor steeds meer onder druk te staan.
In 2023 bracht de Commissie van Wijzen (een groep van onderwijs- en HR-experts) een inspirerende visie uit op modern personeelsbeleid in het onderwijs. Hun voorstel benadrukt het belang van wetenschappelijk onderbouwd HR-beleid, waarbij werkbaar werk en duurzame inzetbaarheid centraal staan. Volgens de commissie zijn deze elementen essentieel voor een sterke kwaliteitscultuur én een positief imago van het lerarenberoep. Deze inzichten vormden de aanleiding voor mijn eigen onderzoek.
Wat nu? Tijd voor actie!
Te veel leerkrachten hollen zichzelf voorbij door overvolle agenda’s, planlast en administratie. Door die ballast te verminderen, komt er ruimte vrij voor wat echt telt: lesgeven, leerlingen begeleiden en zelf even op adem komen. Scholen kunnen hierin al stappen zetten met bijvoorbeeld administratieve ondersteuning of eenvoudigere rapportages. Maar ook op beleidsniveau is een structurele aanpak nodig. Minder papier, meer tijd en vertrouwen.
Leerkrachten die zich gewaardeerd voelen, die mee kunnen beslissen en kunnen groeien in hun job, blijven langer en met meer goesting voor de klas staan. Intrinsieke motivatie groeit waar er ruimte is voor autonomie, samenwerking en professionele ontwikkeling. Denk aan coaching, teamwerking en inspraak. Een schoolcultuur die daarin investeert, investeert in mensen.
Leerkrachten houden in tijden van lerarentekort? Het kan. Maar dan moeten we luisteren naar wat hen motiveert en wat hen uitput. Mijn onderzoek toont: werklast duwt mensen weg, motivatie houdt ze vast. Willen we leerkrachten houden en versterken, dan is er actie nodig.
Het vraagt om een doordacht HR-beleid, gedragen door schoolteams én ondersteund door beleid. Enkel als we echt begrijpen wat leeft op de klasvloer, kunnen we samen bouwen aan een onderwijs dat niet alleen werkt voor wie in de klas zit, maar ook voor wie dagelijks voor de klas staat.
Benieuwd naar meer?
Wil je dieper duiken in de resultaten of het volledige onderzoek lezen? Neem gerust contact op via mail: janne.van.cauter1@telenet.be.
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