The starting point of the research is the changes in society and the working life, and the impact of these changes on the operations of vocational education organizations as well as on the experiences of vocational teachers regarding their work and employers.

At the core of teacher responsibilities lies a robust psychological contract. The aim of this doctoral thesis is to delineate the psychological contract in the context of teachers’ work, based on the perceptions and experiences of teachers and their supervisors. This study seeks to elucidate the dimensions and components of the psychological contract as articulated by teachers and their supervisors. The overarching goal is to generate new knowledge to understand the significance of the psychological contract in vocational education organizations and to identify the measures required to uphold a strong psychological contract.

The psychological contract is a multifaceted concept. As a theoretical framework, this research examines prior studies on the psychological contract and particularly delves into various characterizations of the concept, its formation, alteration, and breach, diverse types of psychological contracts, and its management.

The primary research question guiding this study is: What are the perceptions and experiences of teachers and their supervisors concerning the psychological contract in the work of teachers?

This empirical research is qualitative in nature and follows a phenomenographic research approach. It involved 15 teachers and seven supervisors from two different vocational education organizations. Prior to data collection, an initial survey targeting the quality of employment relationships of teachers within the organizations was conducted. The preliminary survey revealed that the psychological contract of teachers, particularly those in open-ended employment relationships, is primarily relational in nature. Similarly, the psychological contracts of most teachers in fixedterm employment possess relational aspects, as these educators are committed to continuing their employment with the organization beyond the termination of the fixed-term.

The data collection method employed was theme-based interviews. This approach enabled the focus on themes that reflect the factors defining the psychological contract. Information was gathered on the participants’ perceptions and experiences related to their job responsibilities, expectations toward work and the employer, job recognition, commitment, trust, interaction, and organizational culture.

The data analysis sought to capture the meanings inherent in the participants’ perceptions and experiences by interpreting the expressions found in the data and forming descriptive categories. Initially, the data from the educators were analyzed, resulting in a category system describing their perceptions and experiences. Subsequently, the data from the supervisors were analyzed, generating a category system outlining their perceptions and experiences. Following this, the datasets were analyzed together, leading to the development of a category system that describes the psychological contract of teachers.

The research findings organized the perceptions and experiences of teachers and their supervisors into three main categories: the psychological contract within organizational culture, the psychological contract within the functionality of the workplace community, and the psychological contract within the context of teaching. These categories exhibit a hierarchical structure, with beliefs and experiences related to organizational culture at the top level, workplace community functionality in the middle, and teaching-related beliefs at the bottom level.

Each of these three categories further divides into two result categories. The organizational culture-related factors shaping the psychological contract encompass work culture and leadership culture. Factors defining the psychological contract in the workplace community include cooperation skills and supervisor work. The psychological contract in the context of teaching is influenced by the alignment of expectations for the teacher’s work with everyday teaching tasks and the autonomy in teaching work.

While the psychological contract has been widely studied internationally, research in this area remains limited in Finland, particularly in the context of the education sector. It is my understanding that this research represents the first examination of the psychological contract within vocational education in an international context.

This study contributes new insights into the perceptions and experiences of teachers and their supervisors regarding the factors shaping the psychological contract in teacher roles. These findings expand our understanding of the significance of the psychological contract and provide a framework for the management of the psychological contract at different levels within vocational education organizations. The practical application of psychological contract management can enhance the teachers’ commitment and well-being, ultimately benefiting both student success and the organization’s performance. Additionally, the research findings also provide insight into the topics on which the supervisor should engage in dialogue with the teacher, in order to form an understanding of the teacher’s psychological contract. With such understanding, supervisors can take steps to reinforce the psychological contract.