Teaching is a stressful occupation. Teacher stress can be described as the experiences by teachers of psychological distress such as anxiety, depression and nervousness and languishing, resulting from aspects of their workload and school setting. Stress manifests itself in various ways including psychological, emotional, and social changes. Teachers demonstrate individual discrepancies in their responses to stressors. South Africa is as a multicultural environment with previously segregated school settings based on race. Research revealed that it is possible that the functionality of schools, usually related to school setting, has implications for the psychological well-being of teachers. As comparative study between group White teacher-Black teacher data are limited, this study analysed aspects of psychological well-being to show that race, associated with school setting, can be pervasive determinate of positive mental health. The current study, which is a secondary analysis of the Sympathetic Activity and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Africans (SABPA) 2008-2009 data, aimed at explaining the similarities and differences by identifying aspects most likely to influence psychological well-being between a White teacher group and a Black teacher group in the North West Province in South Africa. One research question was formulated to reach the purpose of the research and is: How does the psychological well-being of Black and White teachers in different school settings in the North West Province in the South African context compare? A sample consisting of White (208) and Black (200) teachers completed the Mental Health Continuum – Short Form (MHC-SF; Keyes, 2002) to measure positive mental health: the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; Kroenke, Spitzer, & Williams, 2001) to measure depression, the Fortitude Questionnaire (FORQ: Pretorius, 1998) to measure social support, and the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI, Boyle, Borg, Falzon, & Baglioni Jr., 1995) during the SABPA study. Data from various self-reported psychological questionnaires completed by the two teacher groups were included and analysed by means of bivariate correlations of the two teacher groups, t-test comparisons, cross tabulations of categories of positive mental health as well as of depression, and multiple regression. Significant associations were found for the following: teacher stress related to general resources (TSI), teacher stress related to teaching and classroom management (TSI), positive self-appraisal, social support from family, social support from friends and others (FORQ), emotional well-being, and psychological well-being (MHC), for both the White and Black teacher groups. According to regression analysis, in the White teacher group, 11.9% of total variance in teacher stress was accounted for by depression while positive metal health explained 7% of teacher stress. For the Black teacher group, only 2.4% of the total variance of teacher stress was explained by depression and 0.1% by positive mental health. The conclusion is that all teachers experience stress and depression, but according to these results, the effect of stress on well-being seems to be higher among the White group. Although the Black teachers report higher levels of stress, they flourish. In closing, from this comparative study, it was recommended that data between resource availability and school setting pertaining to White-Black teacher groups matched by psychological well-being need to be obtained. Much needed consideration should be given to the development of interventions that explore aspects of psychological well-being of teachers in different school settings. Furthermore, cultural background in the school setting that contributes towards psychological well-being should be considered and applied to guide interventions in the North West Province in South Africa. / MSc (Research Psychology)|cNorth-West University, Potchefstroom Campus|d2014

The demand for highly qualified teachers is well documented, yet numerous stressors influence educators to leave their positions. The guiding question for this study was: Is there a relationship between perceived principal leadership behavior and the stress experienced by the novice secondary teacher? The target population was novice teachers in Louisiana. The purposive sample was delimited to novice secondary teachers having six semesters of teaching experience or less in grades 6 through 12. The ten largest parishes in Louisiana were selected to sample. Four of the ten parishes granted permission to survey novice secondary teachers. The Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire, Form XII (Stogdill, 1963) was used to determine the perception of principal leadership in two dimensions: consideration behavior and initiation of structure behavior. The Teacher Stress Inventory (Fimian, 1988) was used to collect demographic data on the participants and to determine a composite stress score from five sources of stress and five manifestations of stress. The statistical analyses included stepwise multiple regression and one-way ANOVA. Data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for the Social Science Version16.0 (SPSS). Time management, along with discipline and motivation, were the top two sources of stress for novice teachers. Fatigue manifestation and emotional manifestation were the most conspicuous manifestations of stress. These results reflect relevant issues facing the contemporary teacher. Professional investment, the diminished autonomy teachers experience when the locus of control is external to the classroom, was the single most reliable source of stress to predict both initiating structure and consideration leadership behavior. Emotional manifestation was the single most reliable manifestation of stress to predict initiating structure xiv and consideration leadership behavior. No significant relationship was found between the demographic and organizational variables and stress in the novice secondary teacher. Principal leadership is a potential predictor of teacher retention. Thus, the findings of this study have implications for three specific areas: programs of support for new teachers, preparation and training of principal leadership, and policies that are critical for the successful principal.

This thesis explored the relationships between 1) Self-compassion 2) Cognitive Emotion Regulation and 3) Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and teacher stress in a foreign international school setting. The retrospective, multi-tiered study investigated a total of 177 expatriated teachers working in multiple international schools around the globe; at least 17 of whom indicated that they had completed a MBSR course. A mixed-methods approach was used over three stages utilising the following instruments: 1) an adapted stress impact survey, 2) Teacher Interview Protocol (TIP), 3) the short forms of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ-SF), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-SF), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). Results suggest that teachers’ beliefs about stress correlate with job satisfaction; 82.6% of respondents who reported that stress has ‘hardly any effect’ also reported that they liked their job overall; whereas, 76.9% and 36.4% of respondents that believed stress had affected their teaching ‘some’ or ‘a lot’ reported liking their job, respectively. Results also indicate that higher perceived stress is strongly correlated with both 1) decreased self-compassion (r = -.491, p < .001) and 2) increased use of non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, such as Catastrophizing (r= < 0.392, p < .001). All five adaptive cognitive coping strategies were positively correlated with Self-Compassion, four were significant; only Refocus on Planning failed to reach significance at p < .05. The data indicated no statistically significant differences between MBSR and non-MBSR participants, regarding perceptions of stress (PSS-4), self-compassion (SCS-SF), and eight of the nine coping strategies (CERQ-S), with the exception being that MBSR participants experienced reduced Self-Blame (p < 0.007). Conclusions find that policies and practices aimed at supporting the three aspects of self-compassion offer one possible avenue to reducing teacher stress and maladaptive thinking strategies, and thereby increasing job satisfaction, for teachers working in a foreign country.

This research investigated the main sources of occupational stress that tertiary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers experience in the United Arab Emirates. A secondary focus was to identify the coping strategies used by EFL teachers who exhibit low levels of stress, and what types of support were needed by EFL teachers who exhibited moderate to high levels of stress. While theories abound in the literature on the reasons for stress and its consequences for teachers, little is known about the role of coping strategies and their specific usefulness in eradicating stress. Given the nature of the research questions, an interpretivist mixed methods approach was deemed appropriate. Data collection methods included a pre-tested online survey followed by 26 semi-structured interviews and a Likert-style questionnaire which were used to gain an in-depth understanding of the quantitative aspects of stress levels. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were used to examine the coping strategies of 113 self-identified EFL teachers with low stress levels. They were analysed through theme analysis and triangulated with other data to increase the robustness of the results. The sources of teacher stress derived from the analysis are ranked according to the 20 cited as most significant by the participants. They are discussed in detail under the headings of stressors related to classroom teaching, administration leadership style, professional issues and their own assessment as teachers. The strategies teachers use to cope with these stresses are varied and range from activities to attitudes. Key recommendations for the teaching faculty centre on general health and well-being, and overall workplace focus. Clearly, EFL teachers suffering from workplace stress must take care of themselves physically, psychologically and emotionally. Yet teachers in the UAE also expressed a desire for administrators who practice more democratic leadership styles, and acknowledged that the attitudes of their students toward learning English had a considerable impact on their own practices. Further inquiry is recommended into a more complete examination of teacher stressors and their relationship to cultural factors, specifically two of the cultural dimensions found in the UAE (power distance and uncertainty avoidance), which were found to be particularly relevant to stressors in the category of leadership style and practices.

The study aimed at investigation the sources of stress that english instructors who work at the English Preparatory Schools of the Middle East Technical University and Ankara University experience and the strategies that they use to cope with stress related to their professions. Two scales which consist of a demographic inventory, two questionnaires and a semi structured interwiew were developed by the researces the first scale is &quot / stress factors and coping strategies questionnaire for english instructors&quot / the result of which was analyzed by SPSS under five headings. This data gathering instrument was implemented on 174 English Instructors working at four univesities in Ankara. Data gathered from 112 English Instructors in Ankara University and METU English Preparatory Schools represented the result of the main study. In analayzing the data, descriptive statistics as frequency, percent, average and standart deviation, and inferential statistics as ANOVA was used. The second scale of the current study is a semi structured interview. This scale was piloted with 6 instructors to check the reliability. Finally,was conducted with 6 instructors from two represent the participants of the main study. The result of the interviews were analyzed through content analysis. The result of the study revealed an inverse correlation between the stress level of english instructors and their effectivness in coping. The most stress causing factors were &quot / student attitudes&quot / and &quot / working overload&quot / while the most employed coping strategies were &quot / in class coping&quot / , &quot / planfulness&quot / , and &quot / self support&quot

Teaching is a stressful occupation. Teacher stress can be described as the experiences by teachers of psychological distress such as anxiety, depression and nervousness and languishing, resulting from aspects of their workload and school setting. Stress manifests itself in various ways including psychological, emotional, and social changes. Teachers demonstrate individual discrepancies in their responses to stressors. South Africa is as a multicultural environment with previously segregated school settings based on race. Research revealed that it is possible that the functionality of schools, usually related to school setting, has implications for the psychological well-being of teachers. As comparative study between group White teacher-Black teacher data are limited, this study analysed aspects of psychological well-being to show that race, associated with school setting, can be pervasive determinate of positive mental health. The current study, which is a secondary analysis of the Sympathetic Activity and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Africans (SABPA) 2008-2009 data, aimed at explaining the similarities and differences by identifying aspects most likely to influence psychological well-being between a White teacher group and a Black teacher group in the North West Province in South Africa. One research question was formulated to reach the purpose of the research and is: How does the psychological well-being of Black and White teachers in different school settings in the North West Province in the South African context compare? A sample consisting of White (208) and Black (200) teachers completed the Mental Health Continuum – Short Form (MHC-SF; Keyes, 2002) to measure positive mental health: the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; Kroenke, Spitzer, & Williams, 2001) to measure depression, the Fortitude Questionnaire (FORQ: Pretorius, 1998) to measure social support, and the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI, Boyle, Borg, Falzon, & Baglioni Jr., 1995) during the SABPA study. Data from various self-reported psychological questionnaires completed by the two teacher groups were included and analysed by means of bivariate correlations of the two teacher groups, t-test comparisons, cross tabulations of categories of positive mental health as well as of depression, and multiple regression. Significant associations were found for the following: teacher stress related to general resources (TSI), teacher stress related to teaching and classroom management (TSI), positive self-appraisal, social support from family, social support from friends and others (FORQ), emotional well-being, and psychological well-being (MHC), for both the White and Black teacher groups. According to regression analysis, in the White teacher group, 11.9% of total variance in teacher stress was accounted for by depression while positive metal health explained 7% of teacher stress. For the Black teacher group, only 2.4% of the total variance of teacher stress was explained by depression and 0.1% by positive mental health. The conclusion is that all teachers experience stress and depression, but according to these results, the effect of stress on well-being seems to be higher among the White group. Although the Black teachers report higher levels of stress, they flourish. In closing, from this comparative study, it was recommended that data between resource availability and school setting pertaining to White-Black teacher groups matched by psychological well-being need to be obtained. Much needed consideration should be given to the development of interventions that explore aspects of psychological well-being of teachers in different school settings. Furthermore, cultural background in the school setting that contributes towards psychological well-being should be considered and applied to guide interventions in the North West Province in South Africa. / MSc (Research Psychology)|cNorth-West University, Potchefstroom Campus|d2014

This research was aimed at determining the psychometric properties of the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI; Boyle, Borg, Falzon & Baglioni, 1995) and in doing so enabling the possible development of a much needed, more culture sensitive inventory for the measurement of teacher stress as it manifests in the South African context. A review of international literature revealed that the stress associated with the teaching profession is a well-known phenomenon, and has received increasing recognition and research attention in recent years (e.g., Brown, Howcroft & Jacobs, 2010; Chaplain, 2008; Ngidi & Sibaya, 2002; Olivier & Venter, 2003; Schwarzen & Hallum, 2008; Sharplin, O‘Neill & Chapman, 2011; Vandeyar, 2005). However, only a few studies on teacher stress in the South African context could be found. The studies that were done within the South African teaching context (Ferreira, 2008; Lund & Fisher, 2006; Møller, 2007) did report various and specific challenges that add to the stressors South African teachers need to overcome in order to maintain psychological well-being. Furthermore, these studies mostly implemented scales that were developed within a Eurocentric context, and thus did not incorporate cultural and contextual factors that are known to impact directly on both the construction and experience of psychological well-being (Temane & Wissing, 2008; Wissing & Temane, 2008; Wissing, Wissing, Du Toit, & Temane, 2006) and stress. The need for a teacher stress scale which will be valid in the South African context became apparent. Therefore, the aim of this study is to validate the TSI for use in a South African context. A cross-sectional design for data collection was used as part of the Sympathetic Activity and Ambulatory Blood pressure in Africans (SAPBA) study. The research sample consisted of urban Caucasian (n=209) and African (n=200) teachers subsiding in the North-West Province of South Africa. The TSI, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) were administered to all participants, together with physiological measures of stress that were taken under controlled circumstances. Based on the results from the exploratory factor analysis and item analysis that was conducted separately on the different ethnic groups, it was decided to omit items 1, 3 and 6 due to evidenced problematic psychometric properties in this study population. A further factor analysis that was conducted on the total study group showed sufficient communalities and yielded a two-factor model, with a robust factor structure and satisfactory reliability indices for both extracted factors, namely (1) General circumstance related stress and (2) Learner related stress. Satisfactory criterion-related validity was determined by correlating the TSI with other measures of psychological health, the GHQ and the MHC-SF, as well as physiological measures of health. In conclusion, the TSI proved to be a useful, brief self-report questionnaire for the assessment of occupational stress within this cohort of South African teachers. If replicated within a sample more representative of the South African context, the findings of this study will allow the impact of different sources of teacher stress to be determined and compared within the South African context. It further holds promising possibilities for influencing public policy with regard to the education system in South Africa and to contribute to the exploration of teacher stress in this context, with the aim of contributing to the psychological well-being of South African teachers. Further psychometric evaluation is however necessary before the TSI can be considered to be a valid instrument in the broad South African context. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This research was aimed at determining the psychometric properties of the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI; Boyle, Borg, Falzon & Baglioni, 1995) and in doing so enabling the possible development of a much needed, more culture sensitive inventory for the measurement of teacher stress as it manifests in the South African context. A review of international literature revealed that the stress associated with the teaching profession is a well-known phenomenon, and has received increasing recognition and research attention in recent years (e.g., Brown, Howcroft & Jacobs, 2010; Chaplain, 2008; Ngidi & Sibaya, 2002; Olivier & Venter, 2003; Schwarzen & Hallum, 2008; Sharplin, O‘Neill & Chapman, 2011; Vandeyar, 2005). However, only a few studies on teacher stress in the South African context could be found. The studies that were done within the South African teaching context (Ferreira, 2008; Lund & Fisher, 2006; Møller, 2007) did report various and specific challenges that add to the stressors South African teachers need to overcome in order to maintain psychological well-being. Furthermore, these studies mostly implemented scales that were developed within a Eurocentric context, and thus did not incorporate cultural and contextual factors that are known to impact directly on both the construction and experience of psychological well-being (Temane & Wissing, 2008; Wissing & Temane, 2008; Wissing, Wissing, Du Toit, & Temane, 2006) and stress. The need for a teacher stress scale which will be valid in the South African context became apparent. Therefore, the aim of this study is to validate the TSI for use in a South African context. A cross-sectional design for data collection was used as part of the Sympathetic Activity and Ambulatory Blood pressure in Africans (SAPBA) study. The research sample consisted of urban Caucasian (n=209) and African (n=200) teachers subsiding in the North-West Province of South Africa. The TSI, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) were administered to all participants, together with physiological measures of stress that were taken under controlled circumstances. Based on the results from the exploratory factor analysis and item analysis that was conducted separately on the different ethnic groups, it was decided to omit items 1, 3 and 6 due to evidenced problematic psychometric properties in this study population. A further factor analysis that was conducted on the total study group showed sufficient communalities and yielded a two-factor model, with a robust factor structure and satisfactory reliability indices for both extracted factors, namely (1) General circumstance related stress and (2) Learner related stress. Satisfactory criterion-related validity was determined by correlating the TSI with other measures of psychological health, the GHQ and the MHC-SF, as well as physiological measures of health. In conclusion, the TSI proved to be a useful, brief self-report questionnaire for the assessment of occupational stress within this cohort of South African teachers. If replicated within a sample more representative of the South African context, the findings of this study will allow the impact of different sources of teacher stress to be determined and compared within the South African context. It further holds promising possibilities for influencing public policy with regard to the education system in South Africa and to contribute to the exploration of teacher stress in this context, with the aim of contributing to the psychological well-being of South African teachers. Further psychometric evaluation is however necessary before the TSI can be considered to be a valid instrument in the broad South African context. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This research investigates internationally educated teachers' (IETs) motivations to become teachers in Canada, learning in the initial teacher education programs, employment seeking experiences, as well as stress and coping strategies during their transition from the teacher education programs to the workplace. Twenty IETs from 12 different countries and areas participated in the study. Research data includes semi-structured interviews, field notes, short questionnaires, email, online chat records, and participants' writings. Narrative approaches (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Polkinghorne, 1995) were used to analyze interview and other qualitative data. In addition, I conducted descriptive analysis upon the questionnaires to triangulate the research findings. Research findings show that a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors motivated IETs to take up or return to the teaching profession in Canada. All of the IETs in the study considered their studies in the teacher education programs useful, but a number of them expressed the wish that the programs should include more practical aspects. Some IETs experienced difficulties during their practicum due to their language and accents, heavy workload, classroom management issues, as well as balance between work and life. A few IETs also experienced conflicts and tension with their mentor teachers. Due to the challenging teaching job market in Ontario, and the disadvantaged situation for IETs, finding a teaching position was not easy for IETs. The main challenge was to obtain eligibility for teaching positions with school boards. IETs were frustrated with their employment, underemployment and unemployment. Research data from the IET Stress Scale showed that the top five stress factors for IETs in transition included finding a teaching position, teacher identity construction, balance between work and family, being observed and assessed, and heavy workload. Similar themes emerged from the interview data. IETs utilized various strategies to cope with their difficulties and stress. Most of the IETs expressed their desire to stay in the teaching profession in Canada. However, two IETs were reluctant to look for teaching positions due to their frustrating experiences with their mentor teachers. Two other IETs stayed in nonteaching or looked for jobs in other professions due to their difficult job seeking experiences.

This research investigates internationally educated teachers' (IETs) motivations to become teachers in Canada, learning in the initial teacher education programs, employment seeking experiences, as well as stress and coping strategies during their transition from the teacher education programs to the workplace. Twenty IETs from 12 different countries and areas participated in the study. Research data includes semi-structured interviews, field notes, short questionnaires, email, online chat records, and participants' writings. Narrative approaches (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Polkinghorne, 1995) were used to analyze interview and other qualitative data. In addition, I conducted descriptive analysis upon the questionnaires to triangulate the research findings. Research findings show that a number of intrinsic and extrinsic factors motivated IETs to take up or return to the teaching profession in Canada. All of the IETs in the study considered their studies in the teacher education programs useful, but a number of them expressed the wish that the programs should include more practical aspects. Some IETs experienced difficulties during their practicum due to their language and accents, heavy workload, classroom management issues, as well as balance between work and life. A few IETs also experienced conflicts and tension with their mentor teachers. Due to the challenging teaching job market in Ontario, and the disadvantaged situation for IETs, finding a teaching position was not easy for IETs. The main challenge was to obtain eligibility for teaching positions with school boards. IETs were frustrated with their employment, underemployment and unemployment. Research data from the IET Stress Scale showed that the top five stress factors for IETs in transition included finding a teaching position, teacher identity construction, balance between work and family, being observed and assessed, and heavy workload. Similar themes emerged from the interview data. IETs utilized various strategies to cope with their difficulties and stress. Most of the IETs expressed their desire to stay in the teaching profession in Canada. However, two IETs were reluctant to look for teaching positions due to their frustrating experiences with their mentor teachers. Two other IETs stayed in nonteaching or looked for jobs in other professions due to their difficult job seeking experiences.