Teachers’ innovative work behavior (TIWB) is crucial in the contemporary demanding educational environments for overcoming any commonplace issues and to ensure sustainability and development. It refers to a process in which the employee tries to create new ideas, adopt them, apply them in the school context, and then communicate them to other members of the organization in order to achieve a communal benefit. Among a plethora of factors that could influence such behavior, self-efficacy, burnout, and irrational beliefs have been proposed as potential covariates. In the present study, the associations of the above constructs with TIWB are concomitantly investigated by employing structural equation modeling (SEM). Data were taken from the participation of in-service teachers (N = 964) in primary education via self-reported questionnaires. The proposed SEM model exhibited a satisfactory goodness-of-fit to the empirical data, highlighting the direct effects of the independent variables on TIWB, while mediation analysis showed that irrational beliefs and burnout act also as mediators between self-efficacy and innovative work behavior. The findings are in line with previous reports and are interpretable in the context of modern theories, while a discussion on theoretical and practical implications along with emerging ideas and perspectives for further research is provided.

Innovation refers to the implementation of creative ideas into practice. In that sense, innovative work behavior (IWB) is a type of behavior and a multidimensional construct that involves four factors: the generation, promotion, realization, and sustainability of new ideas for the whole organizations’ benefit. Thus, the development of instruments for measuring and singling IWB is an interesting and necessary endeavor. The present study appraises the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the innovative work behavior scale (IWBS-G), a 44-item self-reported instrument, using data collected from two studies with in-service teachers. In the first study dataset (N = 485), exploratory factor analysis was applied, which, by implementing scree plot with parallel analysis, revealed the dimensionality of four factors, namely: Idea Generation (IG), Idea Promotion (IP), Idea Realization (IR), and Idea Sustainability (IS). The corresponding reliability measures using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega ranged between 0.917 and 0.944. In the second study dataset (N = 964), confirmatory factor analysis validated a sufficient fit of the measurement model [χ² = 396.85, df = 203, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.995; TLI = 0.994; RMSEA = 0.031], while the corresponding internal consistency measures ranged between 0.814 and 0.914. Furthermore, measurement invariance was conducted, which demonstrated insignificant differences between genders. Discussion on the significance of innovative work behavior and the potential implementation of the IWBS instrument in educational research is provided.

University life can be a period of growth and development, but it is also a time of significant stress and challenge. Thus, the study aimed to explore factors with the potential to exert facilitative and debilitative influence on university students’ academic performance. A research project was designed by putting together emotional intelligence and test anxiety, as two pillars that can adequately explain performance in educational contexts. The sample consisted of 205 students from the Department of Primary Education at the University of Crete. Participants completed the Emotional Intelligence Scale and the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale-Revised and agreed to have their responses paired with their Grade Point Average (GPA) of all passed courses as well. Analyses tested the effect of the identified variables on GPA. A series of correlational analyses was conducted to explore the relationships among the above-mentioned variables. Increased worry was associated with decreases in GPA, while increased emotional intelligence was associated with increases in GPA. Moreover, the mediating role of cognitive test anxiety between emotional intelligence and academic performance emerged, indicating that emotional intelligence relates to GPA primarily indirectly. The results shed light on the impact these factors have on students’ academic outcomes and highlight the importance of developing a multifaceted intervention model that supports emotional intelligence and reduces worry in higher education.

Irrationality refers to human thoughts and beliefs that signify lack of rationality and entail erroneous perceptions about situational, personal, or collective idiosyncrasies, while it is independent of one’s intellectual ability. Irrational beliefs are ubiquitous in all social and cultural groups and attract a special interest in behavioral sciences, where the primary concern is the development of instruments for identifying and measuring them. The present study evaluates the psychometric properties of Greek version of Teachers’ Irrational Belief Scale (TIBS-G), a 25-item self-reported instrument using data collected from 835 participants. The exploratory procedure, implementing scree plot with parallel analysis, demonstrated the dimensionality of four factors, namely: Self-downing (SD), Authoritarianism (A), Demands for Justice (DJ), and Low Frustration Tolerance (LT). The corresponding reliability measures using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega were ranged between 0.70 and 0.80. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis showed an adequate fit of the measurement model [χ² = 579.98, df = 183, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.960; TLI = 0.956; RMSEA = 0.051]. In addition, measurement invariance was performed, which demonstrated differences between genders. Finally, discussion on the importance of irrational beliefs and the possible implementation of the TIBS instrument in educational research is provided.

Burnout (BT) is a vital determinant of work effectiveness and a well-studied psychological construct. The dominant theoretical perspectives have defined BT via the proposed dimensional structures and have provided the corresponding instruments for measuring them. The present endeavor adopts the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), as its purpose is to examine the psychometric properties of a short version for the Greek teachers and to find differences across their individual characteristics. The Greek short version of OLBI comprises two dimensions: Disengagement (four items) and Exhaustion (five items), with reliability measures utilizing Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega: Exhaustion (α = 0.810/ω = 0.823) and Disengagement (α = 0.742/ω = 0.756). Confirmatory factor analysis showed an adequate fit of the measurement model: χ² = 320.291, df = 26, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.970; TLI = 0.958; RMSEA = 0.068; 90% CI of RMSEA = [0.062; 0.075]; SRMR = 0.067; NFI = 0.967; GFI = 0.986]. The proposed model is extracted after two studies (N₁ = 134, N₂ = 2437). The novel aspect of this endeavor is the measurement invariance explored across selected demographic variables. The findings supporting the measurement invariance make an essential contribution to the field, and the implications for educational research are provided along with a concise presentation of theoretical issues.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted school life worldwide, heightening risks to students’ psychosocial well-being and mental health, and creating an urgent need for sustainable support strategies during crises. Drama-based interventions, as participatory arts-based approaches, are proposed as flexible interventions that can strengthen resilience, social interaction, and emotional expression in school communities. Objective: This study evaluated the impact of a large-scale, short-term, remote drama-based intervention on the psychosocial adjustment and well-being of primary school students during the pandemic. Methods: An embedded mixed methods design with a pre-post measurement was employed, involving 239 teachers and 719 students aged 9–13 years from schools across various regions of Greece. Psychosocial functioning was assessed using a standardized instrument measuring levels of social, school, and emotional competence, as well as behavioral difficulties. The intervention, totaling 700 min over seven weeks, followed a five-day weekly structure that combined health-focused and psychosocial activities. Results: Quantitative findings indicated improvements across several dimensions of psychosocial adaptation and well-being, while Reliable Change Index analysis revealed important individual-level changes. Qualitative data corroborated these results, highlighting enhanced peer collaboration, increased emotional expression, and stronger classroom cohesion, while also emphasizing the adaptability and scalability of the approach under restrictive conditions. Conclusions: The findings suggest that such artful interventions can make a meaningful contribution to promoting well-being and sustaining the educational and social life of school communities during public health emergencies, thereby adding to the applied psychology evidence based on effective school health interventions.