published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Career burnout has been recognized as a syndrome marked by mental, physical and emotional exhaustion which is especially prevalent among teachers. Teacher burnout is currently a widely researched phenomenon and controversy over its definition, causes and interventions has been great. Meanwhile, the burnout construct has gained little clarity. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether identifiable personality characteristics, as measured by the Personality Research Form, were consistently associated with burnout in teachers, as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Cognitive Burnout Scale. Moderately strong relationships were found between specific personality characeristics and reported levels of burnout. However, individual factors were not concluded to be as critical as the interaction between such factors and the environment. Future directions are discussed.

M.A. / The ramifications of stress-related illnesses and disorders impact on the individual, the organization that the individual works for and the nation’s economic status as a whole. Coping with occupational stress has thus become the focus of occupational health specialists, organizations and industrial psychologists. South African managers and executives work under constant stress and pressure (Strumpfer, 1983). With the emergence of women into previously male dominated occupations, a greater number of women now hold managerial jobs, resulting in a larger percentage of women being exposed to stress-related illnesses and diseases. Past research regarding occupational stress and coping has largely focused on male managers, with many of these findings frequently being incorrectly generalized to women. Neglecting to include gender as a variable in most stress-related research has resulted in contradictions and perceived biases in the study of stress and coping (Barnett, Biener & Baruch, 1987). A review of the literature indicated that some studies report gender similarities in stress and coping, whilst others report that men and woman differ in this regard. The findings of these studies have been critically evaluated in the literature with some authors indicating that the measurement instruments and research designs of the studies were not adequate. The many contradictions found in the literature pertaining to how men and women cope with stress thus provided an important motivation for the present study. The overall aim of the research was to determine whether male and female managers differed in work-related stressors and whether they differed in the coping strategies adopted to deal with the stressors. A more general aim of the study was to amplify any existing research regarding occupational stress and its impact on men and women managers. A comparative ex post facto research design was applied. In this type of design, the researcher selects two or more groups of subjects that already differ according to one variable. The total sample (N= 70) consisted of 35 male managers and 35 female managers. The subjects worked in administrative support functions and were selected from two large financial organizations. The measurement instruments had to be culturally fair and have universal meaningfulness. Only instruments with sound psychometric properties were selected. The battery of five questionnaires consisted of: two tests taken from the Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised, namely the Occupational Roles Questionnaire (ORQ) and the Personal Strain Questionnaire (PSQ). The other three questionnaires consisted of the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC), the Locus of Control Inventory (LCI) and the Personal Views Survey (PVS). The research question for the present study was whether there are any significant differences between men and women regarding occupational stress and coping resources. The composite null hypothesis was formulated as follows: There are no statistically significant differences between men and women regarding their scores on a battery of five instruments measuring the sources of occupational stress specifically with reference to role strain in the workplace, psychological strain as a result of work stress, sense of coherence, internal or external locus of control and hardiness. In order to ascertain the difference between the two groups, the statistical techniques included the use of the Hotelling’s T-Square Test and Student’s t-test. The overall results, with the exception of the Personal Strain Questionnaire’s sub-scale reported no significant gender differences regarding the perception of occupational stessors, and no overall significant gender differences in coping resources. Thus, regarding the scores of the five questionnaires the following results were reported: The scores taken from the Occupational Role Questionnaire (ORQ) reported a Hotelling’s Trace Value of 0,039 with an associated F value of 0,410. This variance is statistically not significant (P>0,05). The scores taken from the Personal Strain Questionnaire (PSQ) reported a Hotelling’s Trace Value of 0,181 with an associated F value of 2,944. This variance is statistically significant (P<0,05). The difference manifested only in one sub-scale, namely the Vocational Strain sub-scale (P=0,075) which is significant at the 0,10 level of significance. In speculating the reason for this, it was suggested that the male subjects may have experienced greater levels of boredom or lack of interest in their work than the female group. Interestingly, the male group also reported a significant difference regarding the Meaningfulness sub-scale of the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire. The Meaningfulness sub-scale (P=0,060) being significant at the 0,10 level of significance. The Meaningfulness sub-scale includes a motivational element similar to the Vocational Strain sub-scale, further reinforcing the male group’s less positive perception of their work. The scores taken from the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC) reported a Hotelling’s Trace Value of 0,069 with an associated F value of 1,517. This variance is statistically not significant (P>0,05). The scores taken from the Locus of Control Inventory (LCI) reported a Hotelling’s Trace Value of 0,084 with an associated F value of 1,851. This variance is statistically not significant (P>0,05). The scores taken from the Personal Views Survey (PVS) reported a Hotelling’s Trace Value of 0,048 with an associated F value of 1,051. This variance is statistically not significant (P>0,05). The final conclusion of the study’s findings was that with the exception of one scale, there were no overall significant differences in the way that men and women a) perceive occupational stressors and b) utilize coping resources. The findings of the present study have challenged the widely held belief that men and women should be different in the way they think, feel and respond to stress-related events. It is hoped that the present study has not only amplified any existing research regarding occupational stress and coping, but has provided further ideas and recommendations for the design and implementation of South African occupational stress management programmes.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Arts, Johannesburg, 1990. / The prevailing understanding of burnout is firmly entrenched in, and has been fundamentally influenced by, the three component definition of the burnout concept proposed by Maslach and Jackson (1981), as evidenced in its almost exclusive application in the burnout research and theoretical developments (Maslach & Jackson, 1986; Shirorn, 1989). Although the construct validity of the three factor burnout structure is well established, no research could be found which has investigated the discriminant validny of this construct. Thus the aim of tha present study was to determine how emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and low feelings of personal accomplishment may relate differentially to conceptually related variables. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / MT2017

All in all, the research findings had confirmed the hypotheses of this study. Demographic differences among secondary school teachers were related to stress. Self-efficacy, resiliency and school environment in various extents was related to secondary school teacher stress. This study has theoretical and practical contributions to the understanding of secondary school teacher stress in Hong Kong. Lastly, implications, limitations of this study and suggestions for future research directions were also discussed. / Moreover, structural equation modeling analysis was conducted to test and compare the goodness of fit of an overall direct effect model, a mediating model and a modified direct effect mediating model. Results indicated that the modified direct effect mediating model provided the best model fit with the data. School environment, self-efficacy and resiliency were found to be all negatively correlated to teacher stress. School environment exerted significant impact on teacher stress. Among the factors of school environment evaluated, affiliation, student support and work pressure had high correlation with secondary school teacher stress in Hong Kong. / Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to test for main effect of demographic variables on teacher stress. Findings revealed that years of teaching and school banding had significant main effect on stress. Teachers with more teaching experience were found to exhibit more stress than teachers with less experience in emotional manifestation and cardiovascular manifestation. Teachers worked in band three schools were found to be more stressful than teachers of band one and two schools in behavioural, emotional, fatigue and gastronomical manifestation of stress. / Reliability test and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the Teacher Stress Inventory, Generalized Self-efficacy Scale, Ego Resiliency Scale and the School-Level Environment Questionnaire and the instruments were found to be reliable and valid. / The purpose of this study are to examine whether demographic variables are related to teacher stress, if individual factors including self-efficacy and resiliency and systemic factor, school environment are related to teacher stress and how the individual factors together with the systemic factor jointly affect stress. The study is comprised of a convenient sample with 390 secondary school teachers. / Hung Oi Ling. / "April 2008." / Adviser: Alvin Leung Seung Ming. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-03, Section: A, page: 0797. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 208-231). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

萬廣祥. / 複印本. / Thesis (M.A.)--香港中文大學敎育學院. / Fu yin ben. / Includes bibliographical references. / Wan Guangxiang. / Thesis (M.A.)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue jiao yu xue yuan. / Chapter 第一章 --- 引言 / 問題的背景 --- p.1 / 研究的目的 --- p.3 / 研究的意義 --- p.4 / Chapter 第二章 --- 文獻省覽及理論架構 / 中學校長的角色與職責 --- p.5 / 校長的工作範疇 --- p.6 / 校長工作的複雜性 --- p.17 / 校長的角色混淆 --- p.18 / 校長的個人責任 --- p.19 / 校長的工作量 --- p.20 / 過去有關壓力的研究 --- p.21 / 壓力因素 --- p.22 / 工作壓力 --- p.23 / 壓力與個人緊張 --- p.27 / ［個人／環境］協調模式 --- p.31 / 本研究之理論架構 --- p.37 / Chapter 第三章 --- 研究方法 / 假設 --- p.50 / 定義 --- p.53 / 取樣 --- p.56 / 量表 --- p.57 / 數據收集 --- p.58 / 數據分析 --- p.59 / 限制 --- p.59 / Chapter 第四章 --- 分析結果 / 個人背景 --- p.60 / 個人背景與工作壓力 / 個人／環境協調量度分數的分析 --- p.65 / 個人／環境協與緊張的相關 --- p.66 / 社群助力與緊張的相關 --- p.74 / 社會前景與緊張的相關 --- p.75 / 心理緊張與行為緊張的相關 --- p.78 / 緊張與疾病的相關 --- p.79 / 校長的工作壓力因素 --- p.80 / Chapter 第五章 --- 討論、建議及總結 / 討論 --- p.82 / 建議 --- p.86 / 總結 --- p.89 / 參考書目及附錄

by Lam Miu-ling, Theresa. / Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1991. / Bibliography: leaves 95-110. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.i / ABSTRACT --- p.iii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vii / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.ix / CHAPTER / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Nature of the problem --- p.1 / Purpose of the study --- p.6 / Significance of the study --- p.7 / Chapter II. --- REVIEW OF LITERATURE --- p.9 / Job stress --- p.9 / Theory of P-E fit --- p.14 / Individual needs --- p.17 / Job demands --- p.20 / Job future ambiguity --- p.22 / Stress and strain --- p.27 / Social support --- p.30 / Chapter III. --- FRAMEWORK OF STUDY --- p.39 / Chapter IV. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.44 / Statement of hypotheses --- p.44 / Instrumentation --- p.45 / Definition of variables --- p.52 / Sampling design --- p.53 / Research procedures --- p.54 / Statistical procedures --- p.55 / Limitations --- p.57 / Chapter V. --- RESULTS --- p.59 / Results of pilot study --- p.59 / Results of main study --- p.60 / Reliability of instruments --- p.60 / Factor analysis of strain measures --- p.61 / Descriptive statistics of variables --- p.62 / Statistical analysis --- p.67 / Chapter VI. --- DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS --- p.79 / Teacher background characteristics and job strain --- p.79 / Job stress and job strain --- p.81 / Social support and job stress --- p.83 / Social support and job strain --- p.85 / Buffering effects of social support --- p.86 / Chapter VII. --- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.88 / Conclusions --- p.88 / Recommendations --- p.89 / Recommendations for school authority --- p.90 / Recommendations for teachers organizations --- p.91 / Recommendations for the Education Department --- p.92 / Recommendations for future research --- p.92 / REFERENCES --- p.95 / APPENDIX

by Kim-Wan Mo. / Title also in Chinese. / Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 88-96.

A teacher may say, "I have twenty years of experience," but just what does it mean? This study suggests explanations for the meaning of "Experience," not by looking at the number of years in a classroom, but at what teachers did in those years that could make the teaching experience equivalent to years of personal growth and development. Three Middle Level Science teachers' experiences were observed over two separate units of instruction. Teachers were engaged in conversations before, during and after every observation, such that their talk gave meaning to teaching. The teachers, early in their units, experienced tensions (stresses and anxieties) that affected their planning and implementation of teaching. The study determined that the teachers' learning experiences and personal growth were directly related to how they met the challenge of tensions. One teacher with very little science knowledge met the challenge of tensions in teaching by integrating her new science knowledge with her English and History knowledge and repertoire. She developed new practices that increased her energy and confidence in such a way that became self-sustaining experiences and growth. Two other teachers, despite science backgrounds, were less successful in meeting the challenge of tensions in teaching. Each found that the contents of the selected units required study and preparation, yet the teachers acquired information rather than truly learning the new subject matter. These teachers, in meeting the tensions of teaching, felt their energies wane, which reduced their dedication and effectiveness. As a result, neither teacher experienced personal growth. The negative experiences resulted in each teacher becoming more entrenched in a lecture mode of teaching to escape the tensions that existed. Learning new subject matter can produce tensions leading to experiences which affect teaching and potential for teacher growth. Incremental amounts of growth are possible, but only if a teacher responds positively to and meets the challenge of tensions in teaching, minute by minute, class by class. / Graduation date: 2003