The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived stress feelings of school administrators toward practices and problems associated with their official educational responsibilities. The study was conducted in the Fort Wayne Community Schools, Fort Wayne, Indiana.The objectives of the study were to determine the following: (1) the extent to which school administrators reported experiencing thriteen symptoms of stress, (2) the extent to which school administrators felt that thirty three management practices were stress-producing, (3) the extent to which school administrators felt that twenty eight problems in education were stress-producing, and (4) the extent to which school administrators felt that ten recommendations would be most helpful in minimizing or eliminating stress.The null hypotheses tested in the study were the following: (1) there will be no significant differences in perceived stress between five age-groups, (2) there will be no significant differences in perceived stress between men, women, (3) there will be no significant differencesin perceived stress between three management levels, (4) there will be no significant differences in perceived stress between five time-period groups indicating the length of time a person has been with the system, and (5) there will be no significant difference in perceived stress between five time-period groups indicating the length of time a person has been in the current position.Each of these hypotheses was tested in relation to symptoms of stress, attitudes toward management practices, current problems in education, recommendations for minimizing stress and position complexity.The eighty-four item instrument, School Administrator Stress Survey, was submitted to 260 administrators. A total of 247 participants responded, representing a ninety-five per cent return. A one-way analysis of variance was used to treat the differential data statistically.As a result of the treatment, the null hypotheses for five variables were rejected at the .05 level. The hypotheses for twenty variables failed to be rejected at the .05 level.Based upon the differential data and the findings, the following conclusions were drawn:1. There was a significant difference in perceived stress between school administrators in five different age-groups in the relationship of age-group to position complexity. An indication of greater stress because of position complexity was found in the "31-40 years" age-group than for the other four age-groups.2. There was a significant difference in stress between men and women, in the relationship of sex and stress-reducing recommendations. An indication of greater stress among female than among male administrators was found as indicated by the recommendations made for reducing stress. An indication of greater stress among male than among female administrators because of position complexity was found.3. There was a significant difference in stress between three management levels, in the relationship between management level and position complexity. An indication of greater stress among "upper management level" administrators than for those at the "middle" or "lower" levels because of position complexity was found.4. There was no significant difference in perceived stress between five time-period groups indicating the length o f time a person has been with the system. None o f the five relationships tested indicated a significant difference at the .05 level, therefore this hypothesis failed to be rejected.5. There was a significant difference in perceived stress between five time-period groups indicating the length of time a person has been in the current position. An indication of greater stress because of management practices was found among administrators who had been in their current positions from "1-5 years."As a result of the descriptive data derived, the following conclusions were drawn. For this part of the study, a response level by one third or more (33 1/3 per cent) of those reporting perceived stress was considered critical (serious enough to warrant attention and action).1. Three symptoms of stress were reported above the critical level.2. Three stress-producing management practices were reported above the critical level.3. Twenty three stress-producing problems in education were identified above the critical level.4. Nine stress-reducing recommendations were identified above the critical level.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/174993 |
| Date | January 1976 |
| Creators | Baugh, Douglas S. |
| Contributors | Hollis, Joseph W. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vii, 146 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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