Stressors in the lives of teachers in the Mahikeng area, South Africa

Abstract

This paper reports on the stress educators are experiencing in Middle and Secondary Schools in the Mafikeng Region, a district in South Africa. Data was collected by visiting all the schools from five clusters. A standardised questionnaire (ASSET) was used to determine the causes of stress in the lives of educators. A theoretical and quantitative investigation was done. A total number of 955 educators are employed in the secondary and middle schools in the five clusters. A questionnaire was distributed to each of these teachers. Nine factors contributing to teachers’ stress were identified, with a cumulative variance of sixty- eight percent. These factors are: managerial practices, relationship with work, causes of stress, career opportunities, job dissatisfaction, work success, leadership and management, remuneration and communication. Results in this study suggest that there is a direct link between these factors and the stress levels experience. More specifically two factors causing stress that were not previously identified by other researchers namely, communication and career opportunities were recognised whilst it was found that ill-discipline is not regarded as a crucial factor in causing teacher stress. The recommendations made on suggested ways of preventing and managing teacher’s stress concerned two main points namely, recognising teachers’ professional status and attending to their personal and academic development.