The findings are the same for headteachers with regards to the support that they require from their governing bodies, local authorities or academy chains.
The research, which is on-going, has been co-funded by the Education Support Partnership (ESP) and the Economic and Social Research Council.
Researcher Candy Whittome, a PhD student from Birkbeck University of London’s Department of Organisational Psychology, is using data gathered from the ESP’s Positive Workplace Survey.
This reveals that over the past five years, job strain has been the single most important factor causing teachers to access the ESP’s 24-hour help lines.
Furthermore, an ESP survey last year found that a quarter of teachers felt that unreasonable demands from line managers would be to blame for their likely departure from education.
Ms Whittome said that early findings from her research, which is due to be published in full later this year, have shown the importance of supportive management in schools, not least because of the range of external pressures that professionals are facing.
She explained: “Although the results are not yet complete, what I am starting to be able to evidence is the importance of supportive leadership in helping individuals and organisations cope with the increased responsibility the sector is faced with.
“In other words, as external pressures on the teachers increase, due to changes in government policy such as testing and changes in curriculum, the need for those responsible for the running of schools to step up and show true leadership and support becomes ever more important.
“The preliminary findings I have identified to date are exciting, and I am looking forward to completing the work so that school leaders across the UK can start to put some of the recommendations in place.”
Julian Stanley, CEO of the ESP, added: “The (support line) figures show how important the conclusion of this new research is – helping school leaders and managers to better understand and support their teaching staff to keep them happy, well and in their jobs for longer.
“This applies to all those responsible for teachers – headteachers, school governors, and the many different organisations charged with running schools; it is a wake-up call for those involved in constant policy changes in the education field – that less can definitely be more.”
The research findings are to form part of a new consultation process due to be launched by the ESP to help school leaders identify best practice in tackling issues of workload.
For more information, email consultation@edsupport.org.uk