Teaching and Anxiety: Experiences of Teachers in the Beginning of the Career

Abstract

This article will allow us to scientifically obtain an updated view of work anxiety, focused on the beginning of a university professor's career, with the aim of understanding what the experience of a beginning professor is like and how they build their identity. Specifically describe the challenges that these professionals face in their professional practice. S. Freud's psychoanalytic theory was used, according to which human behavior is based on instincts or unconscious impulses, some being aggressive and others destructive. Currently, the challenges that society poses, and that schools face, are increasingly demanding, with the level of anxiety and stress among teachers being notorious and their possible association with the degree of satisfaction in the educational process. For this research, the qualitative approach was used for a deeper analysis and in-depth interviews were used to collect the data. The target audience for the research was beginner and seasoned teachers from higher education institutions. As the results indicate, every teacher is affected by anxiety in the exercise of their profession, which is good when it drives and pathological when it creates obstacles in the teaching activity. Professionals are satisfied with their profession, but hard work is still needed on a personal and professional level to achieve the university's objectives and overcome the challenges imposed on it. However, it is necessary to invest in the continuous training of teaching staff to improve the quality, pedagogical conditions of teaching and scientific production.