The Relationship between Sex and Other Characteristics to Teacher Stress and Coping Strategies: The Case of Western Zone Elementary School Teachers of Tigray
No Thumbnail Available
Date
1998-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship of sex, age and teaching experience to
teacher stress and teachers ' coping strategies as well as sex difference on
teacher stress and coping strategies. The study involved a random sample of
200 school teachers (100 Males and 100 Females) in 8 elementary schools of
Western Zone Tigray. Overall the results suggested that a considerable portion
of elementary school teachers (about one-fourth) in the present study rate their
profession as very stressful or moderately stressful. Regression analysis further
showed that teacher characteristics such as teaching experience, and sex were
predictive of work-related teachers stress. In addition, experience and age of
teachers were identified as relatively more important characteristics in explaining
teachers' coping strategies. Age of teachers, however, was related negatively to
teachers' coping strategies. Furthermore, female teachers appear to experience
more stress reactions to pupil misbehavior and time pressures than male
teachers. On the other hand, causes of stress for male teachers seem to arise
mainly from poor school ethos. Contrary to cultural stereotypes, there were no
significant sex differences in employing emotion-focused and/or problem-focused
coping stra tegies between male and female subjects. The discussion focused
on a comparison of the findings with previous findings. The implications of the
findings for stress prevention among school teachers are also identified.
Description
Keywords
Relationship between Sex, Characteristics to Teacher Stress