Performance goal practices have been linked to negative behavioral and emotional outcomes in students. Despite this, little research has been done to understand what leads teachers to use these practices. Additionally, while there is significant research on individual characteristics of students based on their placement in classrooms with high or low performance goal practices, there is a lack of research on how these practices affect their social relationships. These questions were examined in this two journal article dissertation. In the first study, 461 elementary teachers were surveyed on their use of performance goal practices, as well as their years of teaching experience. They were also asked to determine the number of students who drained their energy, a measure of teacher perceived stress. Finally, students from these classrooms were surveyed using peer nominations to determine the number of aggressive students in each classroom, a measure of stress exposure. Multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate what elements of teacher stress might predict the use of performance goal practices in elementary classrooms. In the second study, 576 elementary teachers were surveyed on use their performance goal practices. Students were assessed on their ability in reading and math, and peer nominations were used to determine to what degree each student was accepted by their peers. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to determine whether the use of performance goal practices moderated the relationship between academic achievement and peer acceptance. Results from the first study indicate that teacher perceived stress and years of experience are predictors of the use of performance goal practices. Results from the second study indicate that in lower elementary classrooms only, the relationship between math achievement and peer acceptance was stronger in classrooms where the teachers reported a higher use of performance goal practices. Overall, these studies suggest that teachers who perceive more stress are more likely to use classroom practices that do not lead to optimal outcomes for their students. Results also demonstrate that for younger elementary students, these practices inform their decisions about classmates' likeability, which could be harmful to the social status of lower achieving students.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor Of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2018 / Teaching is regarded by many as one of the most stressful occupations, as evidenced by reports of academic results consistently poor in rural schools and teachers leaving the profession each day. Stress in general has always been a concern in many schools. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of teacher stress on learner academic performance in rural secondary schools. This study used both quantitative and qualitative research approaches in which questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection processes. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling procedures were used to select participants from rural secondary schools in Vhembe District with a matric pass rate of less than sixty percent over a period of five years. Quantitative data was analyzed using IBM Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 24 (IBM SPSS statistics), and Atlas.ti Version 6 programme for qualitative data. Results showed that teachers in secondary schools in the rural areas experience high levels of stress which has adverse effects on learner academic performance. These results guided me in developing the Three Pillars Teacher Stress Coping Model to assist teachers in rural areas to alleviate the stress they experience as they promote teaching and learning. The study contributed to the literature on the effect of the experience of stress by teachers on learner academic performance in rural secondary schools. / National Research Foundation Of South Africa (Grant Number CPT160513164973 and 105246

Under the theoretical framework of Guskey’s (2000) professional development models and Bandura’s (1997) social cognitive theory, this study sought to (a) identify how teachers in Shanghai public primary schools perceive the effectiveness of different types of professional development; (b) assess teachers’ self-efficacy and stress level; and (c) examine how teachers’ perceived effectiveness of professional development, their self-efficacy and stress level are related. A total of 562 public primary school teachers in Shanghai responded to the online survey which consisted of demographic information, the short version of Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, Teacher Stress Inventory and a designed Professional Development Scale regarding the participation in and perceived effectiveness of professional development activities. Results emerged after analyzing the data: 1) among various types of professional development, mentoring, observation and assessment and study groups were perceived to be the most effective types by both novice and career teachers; 2) teachers generally felt “quite a bit” of teacher efficacy but a majority reported moderate levels of stress; 3) compared with their career counterparts, novice teachers have significantly lower self-efficacy and also show significantly lower stress; 4) a negative relationship between teacher efficacy and teacher stress exists for both groups of teachers; 5) an association between the perceived effectiveness of professional development and teacher efficacy exists for career teachers only; 6) teacher efficacy was found to fully mediate the relationship between perceived effectiveness of professional development and teacher stress only among career teachers. Additional discussion of the findings and their implications and suggestions for further research were also presented.

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Dissertation / The aim of this study is to investigate teacher stress and to identify factors that contribute to the stress experienced by township secondary school teachers. Based on an extensive literature study, an inventory, the Teacher Stress Identification Test was developed. The inventory was completed by 368 teachers who live in townships and work in township secondary schools in the Free State. Information thus gained was analysed with the use of a statistical computer programme. It appears from the research that the inventory has both a high reliability coefficient and construct validity. The empirical research revealed that township secondary school teachers experience moderate to high levels of stress. It also gave a clear indication of the factors contributing to the stress experienced by these teachers, allowing the researcher to make several recommendations. Lastly, the manifestations of stress as well as the coping mechanisms of these teachers were briefly investigated. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Dissertation / The aim of this study is to investigate teacher stress and to identify factors that contribute to the stress experienced by township secondary school teachers. Based on an extensive literature study, an inventory, the Teacher Stress Identification Test was developed. The inventory was completed by 368 teachers who live in townships and work in township secondary schools in the Free State. Information thus gained was analysed with the use of a statistical computer programme. It appears from the research that the inventory has both a high reliability coefficient and construct validity. The empirical research revealed that township secondary school teachers experience moderate to high levels of stress. It also gave a clear indication of the factors contributing to the stress experienced by these teachers, allowing the researcher to make several recommendations. Lastly, the manifestations of stress as well as the coping mechanisms of these teachers were briefly investigated. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and mental health within a cohort of black African teachers. A review of literature revealed that teachers frequently experience mental- and general health problems (e.g. Ngidi & Sibaya, 2002; Olivier & Venter, 2003; Johnson, Cooper, Cartwright, Donald, Taylor & Millet, 2005; Parker, Martin, Colmar, & Liem, 2012). However, very little could be found on personality traits and how this relates to the health and well-being of teachers, especially in the challenging South African context. This study forms part of the SABPA (Sympathetic Activity and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Africans) project conducted within AUTHeR (Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research). The overarching purpose of this multidisciplinary project was to investigate the markers of bio-psycho-social health in urbanized teachers. This longitudinal project ran from January 2008 to November 2012 and involved a total of 409 Black and White secondary school teachers. The research was conducted in the North West province of South-Africa. This study focused on the 200 urbanized Black teachers who were recruited by means of convenience sampling from the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda educational district in the Potchefstroom area in the North West province during 2008. The sample included 101 men and 99 women, ranging between the ages of 25 and 60 years. Ethical permission for the SABPA and FORT3 projects was obtained from the ethics committee of the North-West University (ethical clearance numbers NWU-00036-07-S6 and NWU-00002-07-A2 respectively). Participants filled out informed consent forms prior to data collection, and after the objectives of the study and the research procedures were explained to them, all their questions were answered. Data collection for the baseline phase of the project lasted for 50 days during February to May 2008. Four participants arrived at the North-West University (NWU) Metabolic Unit on the Potchefstroom campus after work each day. After being welcomed and oriented, a battery of psychometric tests was administered in English. A secondary analysis was performed on data obtained by means of the Basic Traits Inventory-Short, Mental Health Continuum-Short Form and the General Health Questionnaire-28 in order to determine the relationship between personality functioning and mental health of the participants. Results showed that this cohort of teachers from the North West province experience distress in the workplace, but that they also experience surprisingly high levels of mental health. The findings suggest that there are few differences between the male and female subgroups in this regard. The study also found that there is indeed a relationship between personality traits and the general- and mental health of participants. Neuroticism showed a significant positive correlation with psychological distress, while Conscientiousness showed a significant negative correlation. All five personality traits showed significant correlations with the mental health of educators. Neuroticism correlated negatively with mental health, while Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness correlated positively with mental health. Furthermore, certain personality traits (i.e. Neuroticism and Extraversion) were shown to be significant predictors of teachers’ levels of general and mental health. The strong association found between this cohort of teachers’ personality functioning and their general and mental health contributes toward an understanding of the processes that underlie the distress and mental health of teachers, and could play an important role in future attempts toward health promotion. / MSc (Clinical Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and mental health within a cohort of black African teachers. A review of literature revealed that teachers frequently experience mental- and general health problems (e.g. Ngidi & Sibaya, 2002; Olivier & Venter, 2003; Johnson, Cooper, Cartwright, Donald, Taylor & Millet, 2005; Parker, Martin, Colmar, & Liem, 2012). However, very little could be found on personality traits and how this relates to the health and well-being of teachers, especially in the challenging South African context. This study forms part of the SABPA (Sympathetic Activity and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Africans) project conducted within AUTHeR (Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research). The overarching purpose of this multidisciplinary project was to investigate the markers of bio-psycho-social health in urbanized teachers. This longitudinal project ran from January 2008 to November 2012 and involved a total of 409 Black and White secondary school teachers. The research was conducted in the North West province of South-Africa. This study focused on the 200 urbanized Black teachers who were recruited by means of convenience sampling from the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda educational district in the Potchefstroom area in the North West province during 2008. The sample included 101 men and 99 women, ranging between the ages of 25 and 60 years. Ethical permission for the SABPA and FORT3 projects was obtained from the ethics committee of the North-West University (ethical clearance numbers NWU-00036-07-S6 and NWU-00002-07-A2 respectively). Participants filled out informed consent forms prior to data collection, and after the objectives of the study and the research procedures were explained to them, all their questions were answered. Data collection for the baseline phase of the project lasted for 50 days during February to May 2008. Four participants arrived at the North-West University (NWU) Metabolic Unit on the Potchefstroom campus after work each day. After being welcomed and oriented, a battery of psychometric tests was administered in English. A secondary analysis was performed on data obtained by means of the Basic Traits Inventory-Short, Mental Health Continuum-Short Form and the General Health Questionnaire-28 in order to determine the relationship between personality functioning and mental health of the participants. Results showed that this cohort of teachers from the North West province experience distress in the workplace, but that they also experience surprisingly high levels of mental health. The findings suggest that there are few differences between the male and female subgroups in this regard. The study also found that there is indeed a relationship between personality traits and the general- and mental health of participants. Neuroticism showed a significant positive correlation with psychological distress, while Conscientiousness showed a significant negative correlation. All five personality traits showed significant correlations with the mental health of educators. Neuroticism correlated negatively with mental health, while Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness correlated positively with mental health. Furthermore, certain personality traits (i.e. Neuroticism and Extraversion) were shown to be significant predictors of teachers’ levels of general and mental health. The strong association found between this cohort of teachers’ personality functioning and their general and mental health contributes toward an understanding of the processes that underlie the distress and mental health of teachers, and could play an important role in future attempts toward health promotion. / MSc (Clinical Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the demands, pressures and needs experienced by teachers in special needs schools (referred to as schools with learners with barriers to learning), with the aim of providing guidelines for teacher support to promote wellness. To attain this aim, the study had the following specific objectives or aims: 1. To determine the demands made on and pressures experienced by teachers as stressors. 2. To determine the needs which teachers experience to alleviate these stressors that arise as a result of the demands and pressures experienced by teachers in a special needs school. 3. The provision of guidelines for teacher support in order to promote wellness. 4. To make recommendations for the promotion of the wellness of teachers in a special needs school. A qualitative research design was considered to be the most appropriate for gaining in-depth insight into the demands, pressures and needs of these teachers. Data was collected through phenomenological interviews and direct observations. This data was then organised into categories and subcategories and direct quotations were presented verbatim. Research findings were compared with the relevant literature to identify existing information and possible differences, and the findings were then recorded in the form of two articles. As explained above, the primary goal of this study was to identify and describe the demands and needs experienced by teachers in special needs schools and to formulate guidelines for support to promote wellness. The study also showed that students need mentally and physically fit adults who can guide them as they find their way in the world. It is thus necessary to develop and promote the use of programmes and instruments to identify specific needs and stressors, so as to more accurately predict, prevent and alleviate demands that can be detrimental to health, and to provide and support guidelines to promote wellness in teachers.. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The increasing popularity of inclusion classrooms has placed a large number of students with special needs with the ones without disabilities. Often, general education teachers lack sufficient training in proven inclusion practices that is necessary to cope with the increase in diverse learning needs. The absence of sufficient training can lead to disruptive behavior and also, induce more stress in the classroom for the educator and the students. The qualitative case study aimed to explore the strategies and techniques used by elementary school teachers to successfully manage inclusion classrooms and to learn how the teachers handled stress. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. The data collection methods involved observing school classrooms and interviewing teachers. A total of 6 teachers were interviewed and 3 observations were made in the classroom settings of these teachers. All the participants were teachers located in a small rural district of South Central Texas. The collected data were analyzed using cross-case analysis. The findings of this study indicate the most common methods of classroom management, that include the centers formed by small groups of students, and the tailoring of activities based on students' needs. Further, it was learnt that the teachers used a variety of techniques to mitigate their stress levels and to manage their classrooms in a calm manner. Also, using appropriate classroom management techniques can help the students with special needs to learn ways in which they can adapt their own behavior through self-regulation, to function more effectively with others.