An investigation of the level and sources of professional stress as perceived by specialist teachers of Newfoundland and Labrador

Kennedy, Leonie (1982) An investigation of the level and sources of professional stress as perceived by specialist teachers of Newfoundland and Labrador. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The general purpose of this study was to determine the level of stress specialist teachers in this province are experiencing and to identify which on-the-job stressors are contributing to this level of stress. The study also hoped to determine if specialist teachers differed in level and type of stress. Biographical variables of sex, age, teacher certificate level, length of teaching experience, school's student enrolment, class size and number of sick days taken were also examined in relationship to perceived levels of stress. -- During the months of April, May, and June, the data were collected for the study, by means of a 3-part questionnaire. Part I obtained the biographical data from the participants, while Part II (the Wilson Stress Profile for Teachers - WSPT) and Part III (the Local Scale, devised for the study), identified stressors and level of reported stress. -- Approximately eight hundred teachers, who were randomly selected to represent the population of Newfoundland teachers, completed the questionnaire. Of those eight hundred, 210 represented specialist teachers. This 210 were the sample used for this study. -- The major findings of the study suggested that specialist teachers, regardless of their area of specialty, are experiencing similar levels of stress in our schools. As well, regular classroom teachers (Kendell, 1982) and specialist teachers did not differ significantly in level and type of reported stress. The scores represent a "low/moderate" level of stress for this sample. -- Results of the study revealed that the stressors of Time Management and Parent/Teacher Relations created significantly more stress than the other categories of the WSPT. On the Local Scale specialist teachers indicated that insufficient outlets in the community, the reorganized high school program, and little input into decision making were particular sources of stress. -- Related to biographical variables and the WSPT, it was found that the specialists from a school with an enrolment of 201-400 students reported a greater mean level of stress than specialists in smaller or larger schools. Finally, the results indicated that perceived job stress is highly correlated to psychological, somatic and health related problems. -- A number of recommendations were made by the researcher for the improvement of pre-service programs, and the development of in-service programs in the area of stress management. Personal and organizational strategies for dealing with job stress were suggested. Moreover, recommendations for future research which derived from this study were included.

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