Reducing teachers' psychological distress through a mindfulness training program (original) (raw)

Teacher stress and coping strategies used to reduce stress

Occupational Therapy International, 2005

This pilot study investigated teachers' symptoms of stress and their coping strategies. Measurements of 'stress levels' and 'coping strategies' used were acquired by constructing a questionnaire made up of four individual standardized questionnaires. The data were analysed by a series of correlational analyses that highlighted significant relationships between ways of coping and levels of distress. Differences between the stress-related areas were measured using the Friedman test and Wilcoxon signed rank test for hierarchy. The findings implied that 'escape avoidance', 'accepting responsibility' and 'uncontrolled aggression' were used as negative coping strategies and only one strategy, 'exercise', was indicated to be an effective way of coping. The teachers' strategies were examined for similarities and differences with those recommended by occupational therapists. This pilot study was limited to two schools and it is recommended that it be extended to better generalize the results. Furthermore, ways of coping, as measured by psychological measures, do not seem to reduce stress so it is possible that the activity-based Stress Management Questionnaire, as advocated by , might be more advantageous.

AN ASSESSMENT OF TEACHERS' COPING MANAGEMENT OF PERCEIVED STRESS AND FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

Psikoislamedia Jurnal Psikologi, 2020

Amidst the burgeoning research currently conducted on the effects of COVID-19, this study looks particularly at teachers' stress and anxiety during a time of heightened global uncertainty, which also strongly affects educational processes. The paper draws on data provided through online questionnaires, and follow-up interviews with teachers at a variety of educational institutions in Japan, the Philippines, and eight other countries. Findings from 100 respondents include details regarding the extent and distribution of various behaviors and emotional tendencies gained from quantitative analysis, and additional follow up questions, all conducted online. Numerous strategies for combatting the negative impact of COVID-19 are presented, and a variety of individual responses to this predicament is stressed. The study confirms that COVID-19 is having an unprecedented impact on education, affecting not only students but teachers as well. Thus, the study aims to both assist in alleviating the negative impacts on teachers' wellbeing and to provide helpful insights that contribute to the body of knowledge on teachers' coping management of perceived stress and anxiety.

INFLUENCE OF STRESS COPING BEHAVIOR ON THE EMOTIONAL LOAD OF TEACHERS

In connection with the intensification of professional activity and the acceleration of the pace of life of a modern person, the problem of the relationship between behavior to overcome stress and emotional load and the development of individual coping resources is becoming more and more relevant. There is a rather limited number of scientific works dedicated to the study of the problem of overcoming the emotional burden of teachers working with children, as well as the maintenance and development of individual coping resources. Teachers from the regional state educational institution (30 people) took part in the study. Observation, interview, and standardized testing techniques were used to diagnose teacher workload and behavioral strategies for coping with stress. Mathematical and statistical analysis methods were used to process the results. Teachers who prefer non-constructive overcoming of professional difficulties, inadequately limit the scope and intensity of inclusion of emotions in professional communication (called "Inadequate emotional selective reaction", which has an average value of Ẋav.=18.6), They seek to ease or reduce professional responsibilities requiring emotional costs. To a greater extent, those teachers who use constructive coping are aware of the psychotraumatic factors of professional activity and experience emotional emptiness and fatigue. Positive correlations were found between non-constructive coping ("aggressive actions") and all phases of emotional burnout ("tension"; "resistance"; "exhaustion":). Aggression directed at others as a counterproductive coping strategy has been empirically shown to contribute to job frustration and job dissatisfaction and loss of professional interest. In other words, the professional stress experienced by teachers exceeds their coping resources, and the defensive-adaptive mechanism of behavior to overcome stress takes place at the level of psychological protection.

Analyzing Stress Coping Strategies and Approaches of School Teachers

Pakistan Journal of Education

With increasing demands of the job market, occupational stress isbecoming a matter of great concern for both employers and employeesacross the occupations. Individuals try different coping strategies andapproaches to keep this stress at a manageable level. This studyexamined the stress coping strategies and approaches used by the schoolteachers in respect to their perceived level of stress. A self-developedquestionnaire based on COPE inventory was used to conduct this surveybasedexploratory study. A sample of 400 school teachers with diversebackgrounds working in both public and private sectors was randomlyselected from two district of Punjab. Mean, percentage and t-test wereapplied to analyze the data. The study found that 60% of the teachersperceived high or very high level of stress. Female teachers reportedmore stress than male teachers. ‘Turning to religion’, ‘positivereinterpretation’ and ‘planning’ to actively solve the problem are themostly used coping strategies. The majori...

Stressors and Coping Mechanisms of Teachers

Technium Books, 2021

This study aimed to assess the stressors and coping mechanisms of Senior High School (SHS) Teachers. Moreover, it aimed to establish the difference between the stressors and coping mechanisms of Senior High School teachers in Tagbilaran City Schools Division, Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines. Specifically, it determined the significant difference in the respondents’ stressors and coping mechanisms when categorized according to age and gender. Based on the assessment and findings, stress management measures are proposed. The respondents of this study were the Public Senior High School (SHS) Teachers of Tagbilaran City Schools Division, Tagbilaran City, Bohol. No sampling technique was used because the total population of teachers participated in the study. The descriptive-correlational in nature. It employed a questionnaire in gathering the data to measure stressors and coping mechanisms used by the respondents. The researcher found that teachers are stressed if the phys...

Teacher Stress and Coping Strategies

Lumen Proceedings, 2018

The article wants to describe the perceived stressors for teacher from Romania and the appropriate modalities for reducing this professional stress. We try to investigate the perceptions of teacher upon the evaluation as a stress factor and the solutions for this stress. For this study we apply a questionnaire which was administrated to 120 teachers from Suceava County. The research showed that Romanian teachers experience high levels of stress, almost half of them being tempted to give up this profession. The most used coping actions reported were the positive ones, such as enjoyable activities. Final finding is that increasing qualified personnel, creating a positive organizational climate and communicate results of evaluation process.

Teacher Stress and Coping Strategies—The Struggle to Stay in Control

Creative Education, 2021

This qualitative interview study explored primary and middle school teachers' perceptions of job demands, how they responded to the demands, and which strategies they used to cope with the demands. The participating teachers reported multiple demands, resulting in high levels of stress and emotional exhaustion. Several of the demands could be traced back to structural and organizational conditions at the schools. The analyses also showed that the teachers used five main strategies to cope with the demands: hard working strategies, recovering strategies, reducing the workload strategies, job crafting strategies, and help seeking strategies.