Journal directory listing - Volume 31-41 (1986-1996) - Volume 34 (1989)

A Study of Teacher Stress in Elementary and Secondary Schools Author: Tsai, Bih-Hwang

Abstract:

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived stress of teachers in elementary and secondary schools. A total of 410 subjects selected from 21 schools in Taipei area participated in the survey.
Factor analysis technique was first administered to group the perceived teacher stress into four dimensions : work load, administrative environment, reference group, and professional development.
The major findings of the investigation were as follows:
1."Work load" was the largest stress perceived by both elementary and secondary school teachers.
2.Due to the difference in school location, school type, teachers' age, and teaching class (in secondary schools), the total score of teacher stress varied significantly.
3.In "work load" dimension, due to the difference in school type, school size, and teachers' teaching class (in secondary schools), the score of teacher stress varied significantly.
4.In "administrative environment" dimension, due to the difference in school location, school district, teachers' age, marital status and teaching year, the score of teacher stress varied significantly.
5.In "reference group" dimension, due to the difference in teachers' sex and age, the score of teacher stress varied significantly.
6.In "professional development" dimension, due to the difference in teachers' age, marital status, teaching class (in secondary schools), and school location, the score of teacher stress varied significantly.
The above findings led to the following recommendations:
1.Increasing the educational budget.
2.Reducing teachers' workload by decreasing the number of students in a class, computerizing the school administrative work, and reducing the teaching materials.
3.Raising teachers' salaries and promoting teachers' welfare.
4.Establishing effective in-service training for new inexp

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