Text in Afrikaans / This study ascertains the extent of the experience of stress and the nature of stress management by educators. The literature showed that stress is defined from various theoretical perspectives; various approaches to stress management exist; and educators manage stress in various ways. This study defines stress from a cognitive-transactional perspective. A qualitative research method was used, descriptive data were generated by focus groups and inductively analysed. The results show that educators experienced stress ( much as seen in the literature) due to organisational, management and personal factors. According to this research, educators experience stress on the physical, emotional, social and intellectual levels. Educators' efforts to deal with stress reflect direct techniques such as seeking personal support and using confrontational techniques, as well as indirect techniques which encompass intellectual and physical techniques. Finally the development of a stress management program for educators is recommended. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

1 online resource (122 leaves : ill.) / Educator stress is a grave problem. The aim of this research is to understand female secondary school educators' personality awareness in relation to work related stress, with particular reference to an independent school in Witbank, Mpumalanga, South Africa. In the literature study I determined the nature of work related stress in educators' lives and investigated personality awareness. My empirical research established the level of work related stress experienced by female educators and how an awareness of different personalities may influence the person's experience of work related stress. The research methods were qualitative in nature and included an interview as well as focus group observations. Findings suggested that all the educators were stressed to a lesser or greater degree, but the critical fact was that what is stressful to one person may not be stressful to another. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for improvements to help alleviate educator stress. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (specialisation in Guidance and Councelling)

The aim of this study was to identify the kinds of disciplinary problems educators experience in schools, their causes, as well as their impact on the morale of educators. The researcher made use of a quantitative approach whereby questionnaires were completed by educators from five secondary schools in the Zebediela area. In total, 89 respondents completed the questionnaires. They were from both genders, with various years’ of teaching experience, and generally well qualified. The results indicated that there indeed existed disciplinary problems in the schools. These problems were caused by factors relating to the learners, to their parents, the educators, as well as to the school principal. The impact of a lack of discipline on educator morale included anger, irritability, tiredness, loss of control, and expressing the wish to leave the teaching profession. The study made recommendations for managers on how to improve the situation, and also for further study. Some limitations of the study were also identified. / Further Teacher Education / M.Ed. (Education Management)

This study aimed at establishing the role played by school management teams in managing teacher-occupational-stress in Sedibeng West District primary schools in the Gauteng province. The investigation was conducted using a quantitative research approach. The changes in South African schools’ curriculum which did not have a life span of ten years post-apartheid; the rate of absenteeism pointed out by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshega. She believed that these may be caused by serious illness; therefore it impressed the idea of investigating the role played by school management teams in managing teacher-occupational stress. The study looks at the following two research questions:  What are the causes of teacher-occupational-stress?  What role can the school management teams play in managing teacher-occupational-stress? A questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection from primary schools in Sedibeng West district 8 in the Gauteng province. The researcher’s sample size was 32 (n=32). Findings were that the school management teams are playing their roles and supporting teachers. However, teachers find their teaching job to be stressful. The study found significant factors causing teacher-occupational-stress. One of the factors is failure by the school management team to acknowledge teachers hard work. Recommendations are outlined at the end of this study indicating how the Department of Basic Education can intervene and what the school management teams can do to manage teacher occupational stress. / Educational Leadership and Management

In Namibia today few learners with behavioural and learning problems are within special schools as most are placed within the mainstream school system. Placing these learners within the mainstream system is part of the policy of Inclusive Education (IE) because it argues that this would benefit these learners and also save resources. IE is concerned with addressing barriers to learning and behavioural problems are regarded as one of these barriers. IE argues for a series of new approaches to the diagnosis and response to learners with behavioural problems. This poses challenges for teachers in mainstream schools. Teachers are at the forefront of this situation as they are usually the first to observe and experience the behavioural problems in the schools and are expected to respond appropriately. They find this situation both challenging and problematic. This research explores a sample of teachers’ perceptions of learners’ behavioural problems. To collect in-depth information, this study followed a qualitative approach with a case study design. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, supplemented with observation and document analysis. The study consisted of fifteen respondents: three principals, three teacher counsellors and nine teachers from the three selected schools. This study illuminates the types of behaviour that teachers encounter, the impact of these behaviours, the factors seen as contributing to these behaviours, and how teachers and the school system deal with these behaviours. In addition the study applies Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model (1992) to explain how the behaviours manifested by Grade 11 and 12 learners, and identified as problematic by teachers, are part of an interconnected nested social system. The results from the study indicate the manifestation of behavioural problems to be common occurrences in secondary schools are evident, amongst others, through fighting, bullying, substance abuse, truancy, and disrespect of teachers and authority. The teachers pointed to the prevalence of these problems as well as the serious impact such problems have on these learners, their fellow learners, and on the teachers. The teachers identified a complex array of what they saw as contributing factors located within the school, peer groups, family and home circumstances, the local community, as well within the national education policy, the economy and society. The study points to some specific, as well as broader, lessons and opportunities for action both for those managing the education system at the national level and for schools and teachers.

Work-related teacher stress is indeed a major problem in schools. The main aim of this study was to investigate the role of the Head of Department in alleviating work-related teacher stress among primary schools in the Temba Circuit. The research problem was investigated by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation. The literature study identified the main causes of teacher related stress. A qualitative inquiry using semi-structured focus group interviews with teachers and semi-structured individual interviews with Heads of Department were conducted in order to find answers to the research questions. It was found that the main sources of teacher stress could be grouped into four main categories, namely, interpersonal, organisational, professional and personal stressors. Guidelines to be considered by Heads of Department to alleviate the stress that teachers under their auspices are encountering were developed on the basis of these four categories of teacher stressors. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Educator stress is a major problem worldwide. This study focuses on the role of the principal in the secondary school in providing support and assisting educators manage work-related stress, with particular reference to schools in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. The problem was investigated by means of a literature study and empirical investigation. The literature identified perspectives on educators' stress, the stress process of the educator and the principal, causes of work-related stress in educators and coping strategies. Furthermore, principals' leadership styles, theories of motivation and causes of principals' stress were discussed. A qualitative inquiry using focus group interviews was undertaken with a small sample of secondary school educators selected by purposeful sampling. Findings suggested that educator stress was caused by a lack of learner discipline; deterioration in educational standards; workload; policy changes; promotion procedures and the principal's leadership style. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for improvement of practice. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The aim of the research study, Combatting the Downward Spiral: Burnout, Support Networks and Coping Strategies of TESOL Teachers at Private Language Schools in Johannesburg, South Africa was firstly to determine whether TESOL teachers working in private language schools in Johannesburg, South Africa suffered from burnout. Secondly, the aim was to discover which factors caused stress for TESOL teachers inside and outside the classroom, what support structures were available for burned out TESOL teachers and the type of coping strategies TESOL teachers used to manage burnout. Using a mixed method design which consisted of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey and semi-structured interviews, the findings revealed that 46% of the TESOL teachers who participated in the research study were suffering from high levels of burnout. Interviews revealed three main areas that caused stress for TESOL teachers: the job of teaching, relationships at work and organisational and TESOL-related issues. These areas were divided further into various sub-themes. Furthermore, support structures for burned out TESOL teachers were generally inadequate and although TESOL teachers attempted to manage burnout by using a variety of coping strategies, these did not seem to be effective in the long-term. / English Studies / D. Lit. et Phil. (English)

Although several studies have been conducted regarding sources of stress for teachers, as well as the coping resources deployed by teachers to manage stress, no studies were found which explored these constructs for teachers within different career stages. Similarly, several studies explored the sources of stress for teachers in different South African provinces, but no studies were found which explored stress or coping resources for teachers in Gauteng. This study aims to address this identified lack in research. Teaching ranks as one of the most stressful occupations, not only internationally, but also in South Africa and therefore, stress poses a threat to the quality of education in South Africa. This threat was recognised by the Gauteng Department of Education, and as a result, the goal to increase the wellness of teachers in Gauteng was set in the Annual Performance Plan of 2012/2013; making this study not only original, but also a necessity. High school teachers (n = 193) were selected from 23 high schools in Gauteng to participate in this study. The Sources of Work Stress Inventory (SWSI), the Coping Resource Inventory (CRI) and the Adult Career Concerns Inventory (ACCI) were used to measure sources of stress, coping resources and career stages, respectively. Pearson product correlations were analysed and significant relationships were found between different sources of work stress, coping resources and career stages. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The researcher investigated ways of alleviating stress and burnout among secondary school teachers. In this regard, factors causing teacher stress and burnout, the effect of stress and burnout on the quality of teaching and learning, support structures offered by secondary schools, and coping strategies to deal with stress and burnout were relevant. A total of 20 participants consisting of 12 teachers and 8 school management team members were interviewed using individual and focus group interviews, and participant observation. Findings revealed that teachers are experiencing a range of stressors of a consistent and prolonged nature leading to burnout. The allocation of unfamiliar subjects as a stressor appeared to be a new finding not noted in any of the previous literature. Stress and burnout constitute a threat to teacher retention and effective teaching and learning. Support structures offered to teachers are inadequate, resulting in teachers using ineffective stress coping strategies. / Die navorser het maniere ondersoek om spanning en uitbranding by hoërskoolonderwysers te verlig. In hierdie verband was faktore wat spanning en uitbranding tot gevolg het, die effek van spanning en uitbranding op die kwaliteit van onderrig en leer, ondersteuningstrukture wat deur skole aangebied word, en strategieë om spanning en uitbranding te hanteer van toepassing. Onderhoude, individueel en fokusgroep, is met 20 deelnemers, 12 onderwysers en 8 lede van die skoolbeheerraad gevoer. Data is ook met deelnemerwaarneming ingesamel. Navorsingsbevindinge toon aan dat onderwysers volgehoue spanning ervaar wat tot uitbranding lei. Die toewysing van vakke waarmee onderwysers nie vertroud is nie is as ‘n bevinding geïdentifiseer wat nie algemeen in die literatuur opgeteken is nie. Spanning en uitbranding affekteer onderwyserbehoud vir die beroep en goeie kwaliteit onderrig en leer negatief. Ondersteuningstrukture vir onderwysers is onvoldoende met die gevolg dat onderwysers geneig is tot die oneffektiewe hantering van spanning. / Umcwaningi ucwaninge izindlela zokuciphisa ukucindezeleka nokushisa phakathi kwabafundisi besikole esiphakeme. Kulokhu, izici ezidala ukucindezeleka nokushisa kothisa, umphumela wokucindezeleka nokushiswa kumhangatho wokufundisa nokufunda, izakhiwo zokusekela ezininkezwa izikole zamabanga aphezulu, Kanye namaqhinga okubhekana nomphumela wokucindezeleka nokushisa kwakufanele. Ingqikithi yabangu-20 yabahlanganyeli abangothisa abangu-12 kanye namalunga eqembu lesiphathimandla sabaphathi abangu-8 besikole babuzwe imibuzo ngokusebenzisa izingxoxo zanye ngabanye kange neqembu lokugxila, Kanye nokubonwa kwabahlangayeli, Kutholakale ukuthi othisha babona ububanzi bokucindezeleka kwendalo eqhubekayo okungaholela ekusheni. Ukwabiwa kwezihloko ezingajwayelekile njengoba ukucindezeleka kubonakala sengathi kuyinto entsha engatholakali ezincwadini zangaphambilini. Ukucindezeleka nokushisa kwakha umsongelo ekugcinweni kothisa Kanye nokufundisa nokufinda okuphumelelayo. Izakhiwo zokuseleka ezinekezwa othisha azanele, ziholela kothisa besenbenzisa amaqhinga okubhekana nokucindezeleka angasebenzi. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)