Occupational stress among primary and secondary teachers and school administrators in the island nation of Malta

Abstract

The main aim of this research was to investigate the extent and sources of occupational stress among primary and secondary teachers and administrators in state schools in Malta. Four empirical studies employing a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire survey method were performed. The first focused on the occupational stress of primary schoolteachers. Almost one-third of 710 participants rated being a teacher as either very or extremely stressful. Self-reported teacher stress was associated with the demographic characteristics of teaching experience and age-group taught. A principal components analysis of the sources of stress revealed four underlying factors labelled 'pupil misbehaviour', 'time/resource difficulties', 'professional recognition needs' and 'poor relationships'. Significant relationships were found between the severity of these stress factors and teacher sex, agegroup taught, and ability-group taught. The second study investigated stress among 545 secondary teachers and again stressful. one-third rated being a teacher as either very or extremely Significant main effects of teacher sex, teaching post, and single-sex schools were indicated. Four factors were extracted and labelled: 'pupil misbehaviour', 'poor working conditions', 'poor staff relations' and 'time pressures'. These factors were significantly related with teacher sex and age, teaching post, school selectivity, single-sex school, size of school and curriculum subjects taught. In the third study, one-fifth of 150 primary and secondary headteachers and deputy heads rated being a school administrator as either very or extremely stressful. Self-reported administrator stress was related with administrative post and administrative experience. Four factors ('lack of support and resolving conflicts', 'inadequate resources', 'workload' and 'work conditions and responsibilities') underlying the sources of administrator stress were extracted. In regard to the severity of stress, results indicated that these factors were significantly related with administrator sex, administrative post and type of school. The fourth investigated the relationship between teacher stress and cognitive style. Two-hundred and twelve secondary teachers completed a 'teacher stress' questionnaire and the Cognitive Styles Analysis, which assesses two fundamental dimensions of cognitive style (Wholist Analytic and Verbal-Imagery). For the two extreme quarters of the sample, self-reported teacher stress was not related to any of the two styles investigated. However, Verbal-Imagery style interacted significantly with teacher age. With regard to the four major factors, significant variations in the levels of stress were observed with Wholist-Analytic style. The implications of the findings for the postulated model of teacher stress and for the prevention and alleviation of stress were discussed.