THE PREVALENCE OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study: The government of Kenya is concerned with the global agenda of achieving education for all. The academic performance of students has become a great concern to stakeholders of education. This has led the government to formulate and implement policies to improve academic performance. Stress has also been found to be a major contributing factor to academic performance. Newstroom (2007) established that moderate level of stress enhances performance among managers while high stress levels reduce performance.

Teachers and more so female principals do experience more stress than their male counterparts in schools. Studies worldwide have demonstrated this. For instance Boyland (2011) in a study on job stress and coping strategies of elementary principals; a statewide study in USA found out that a large majority of Indiana’s elementary principal participants were experiencing moderate to high levels of job stress. In addition, most of the experienced principals indicate more stress now than in previous years. A total of 193 principals from 79 counties in India responded to the survey. This was a return rate of 67% and represents 86% of the counties in the state of Indiana. However, the studies did not indicate study population, instruments of data collection and research methodology, therefore very hard to verify the accuracy of the results.

Forlin (2001) in a study in Western Australia reported that teachers experienced stress. Female teachers reported greater stress than their male counterparts when coping with classroom issues. Forlin (2001) used Teachers Stress and coping questionnaire to collect data. Four-point Likert Type scale ranging from Not Stressful (1), somewhat stressful (2), quite stressful (3), to Extremely stressful (4). The target population was 571 teachers. Montgomery and Rupp (2003) in Meta –analysis of stress in teachers established that teachers do experience stress and it affects their operations. The study focused on the research literature on teacher and student teacher stress between 1998 and 2003 internationally.

Studies have revealed that educators experience higher levels of stress than other professional groups (De Jesus & Comby, 2001). McEwen and Thompson (1997) state that a survey in 1933 revealed that 17 percent of educators were unusually nervous and that a further 11 percent had suffered a nervous breakdown due to stress. Van Zyl and Pietersen (1999) and Jonas (2001) found out that educators experienced high levels of stress in South Africa. Various studies indicate that women experience significantly higher levels of stress (Bemansour, 1998; Hawe et al., 1997; Ngidi & Sibaya, 2002). They attribute this to the fact that women often meet domestic commitments, and conflicting work and family demands. This is confirmed by Jonas’ study (2001) which reports that female educators experience higher levels of stress, while male educators reported higher perceived social support from families and friends, explaining their lower levels of stress. Van Zyl and Pieterson (1999) report that married female educators in particular experience high levels of stress. They have to be the homemaker, a supportive wife and mother and at the same time a competent professional educator (Van Zyl Pietersen 1999; Van der Linde et al., 1999).

These studies did not attempt to measure stress levels among female secondary school principals, despite the fact that they play a big role in school achievement, in which stress is a factor of interest. These studies also recognize the fact that stress influences performance and therefore established the levels was important.

Stamper and Johlke (2003) first introduced the idea of stress into the life of science. They defined stress as the force, pressure or tension subjected upon an individual who resists these forces and attempts to uphold its true state. Pressure is seen as positive and something that actually helps to improve our performance which therefore need a certain amount of pressure to perform well. (Newstroom, 2007). However, the problem then arises when the sources of pressure become too frequent without time to recover, or when just one source of pressure is too great for individuals to cope with.

In Kenya, Ngari, Ndugu, Mwonya, Ngumi, Mumikha, Chepchieng and Kariuki (2013), in their study on levels of stress among secondary school administrators and its implication in education management in Kenya established that the school administrators experience stress in their work. Fifty four point five percent of the respondents recorded high levels of stress resulting from their school work load and other responsibilities. Among the three administrative levels of stress compared to deputies and heads of departments. Ngari et al (2013) focused on stress among administrators in general but this study had narrowed down to female principals and education officials. The study therefore sought to fill this knowledge gap.

Stress in work place is a worldwide issue. A report on secondary education by World Bank (1999) revealed that the education systems the world-over had been ineffective and has failed to address the matter of principals’ stress and burnout in secondary schools. This failure however has stifled natural efforts towards building a stronger human resource base which is invaluable for development in all its spheres in schools. However studies carried out in developed countries such as Canada and France have indicated that the employees working in educational institutions especially the high school principals and their deputies reported high levels of  stress related illness, (Smith, 2004; Howard & Johnson, 2004).

However, in the developing countries, Kenya inclusive, similar sentiments of secondary school principals’ exhibits stress related issues. A study in Ghana showed that teachers and educational administrators are experiencing series of stress and stressful situations (Schroeder, 2001). Koome (2007) who carried out a study in Kenya among the principals’ found out that principals stress is on the increase such that most of them have dropped being principals due to stress and have joined other departments in the government like the Ministry of Education as Quality Assurance and Standards Officer / County Directors or as Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Directors and also the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Gender and Sports among others. These studies reviewed reveal that principals of school experience stress.

The inevitable reforms in the education system calls upon school principals in developing and developed world to stringently raise the level of their school agenda, commitments and actions and be continually dissatisfied with the status quo and dream of a brighter future. More than ever, the school principals are expected to manage their school finances properly, ensure the school excels in academics and extra-curricular activities, meet political agendas and other societal expectations. Regrettably, the school principals are put under intense pressure to perform well beyond their capability.

Occupational stress levels are on the increase across many professions. According to research by Johnson Copper, Cartwright, Donald, Taylor and Millet, (2005), intense pressure to perform may lead to burnout and hence have a negative impact on an organization and the individual. In the context of public secondary schools, the principals are put under pressure especially during national exams, Form 1 selection and the release of K.C.S.E results. The principals are judged depending on their performance and their careers may be on the line. Bolin (2007) pointed out that such huge expectations and possibility of rash judgment negatively impact on an individual.

Although negative stress has the potential to be destructive, there are ways in which stress can be managed for the benefit of both the individual   and the system in which case stress has undeniable effect on performance of individuals and organizations. Though in most cases stress has been understood more from individual perspective. Most of research has been centred on individual performance. Newstroom (2007) cite the inverted “U” relationship as the most widely studied pattern. The logic underlying the inverte “U” is that moderate levels of stress stimulate the body and enhance performance. In contrast, too low or too high stress affects performance negatively. This inverted “U” pattern may also describe the reaction to stress overtime as well as to changes in stress intensity (Robbins, 2003).

The notion that stress has detrimental effects on individuals, and subsequently affects the performance of organizations is shared by several researchers. Lambert, Lambert and Ito (2004) cite stressor as a major contributing factor to corporate inefficiency, high staff turnover, absenteeism, decreased quality and quantity output and increased health care cost for staff.

According to Ivancevich, Konapske and Matteson (2006), while organization consequences are many and varied, they share one common feature. Stress cost organizations money. A notable research conducted in the USA by Kemery, Mossholder and Bedian (1987) found that stress negatively influenced organizational performance. Data collected from 370 employees of a South Eastern University and analyzed using a correlation design to examine the relationship between role ambiguity, role conflict and performance found that role ambiguity and role conflict resulted to high levels of job dissatisfaction which in turn influenced turnover intentions.

Studies conducted in the USA by Rabinowitz and Stumpf (1987) using a sample of 102 University faculty members of the Texas Technical University, found that role conflict was negatively related to performance. Imtiaz and Ahmad (2009) also investigated the relationship between stress and corporate performance using a correlation design. Data was collected from 78 medical officers in Pakistan. The study revealed that the medical officers were highly stressed by inadequate pay, rigid organizational structure and personal issues. This in turn affected their job performance and also reflected negatively on the organizations effectiveness. In a similar study on the relationship between stress and performance carried out on 47 bank managers Ali, Farooqui, Amin, Yahya, Idrees, Amjad, Ikhlag, Noreen and Irfan (2011) reported that their study did not support the negative linear relationship. Their study found a positive linear relationship between stress and performance. Unfortunately their study could not be generalized due to a limited sample size. Furthermore in order to comprehend the complexity of stress further studies should be initiated with a larger sample size. Empirical studies conducted in Nigeria by Salami, Ojokuku and Ilesnami (2010) also found that stress was negatively correlated to performance. The study interviewed 135 individuals holding managerial positions in their organizations. They reported long office hours and work overload as being most stressful. It was therefore necessary to establish the influence of female principals stress and students academic performance.

​​​​​​​Statement of the Problem

Studies worldwide had revealed that female principals experience higher levels of stress than their male counterparts. This is because they have more responsibilities and expectations that increase stress as they perform their tasks and roles expected of them. This affects their quality of work performance among other factors. The other consequences are desertion and leaving of principalship. With regard to Rachuonyo North and Homa-Bay Sub counties, a higher number of principals had left principalship between 2003 and 2013. That is, in Rachunyo North Sub counties 11(24.4%) left while 15 (28.3%) left in Homa-Bay sub counties. The principals who left due to other reasons from the same sub counties for the same period were 4(8.9%) and 9(17%) respectively. With regard to work performance as signified by students’ performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations between 2010 and 2014 secondary schools headed by female principals had performance in mean scores as 3.77 and 4.20 lower compared to those headed by male principals whose mean scores were 5.05 and 5.67 in Rachuonyo North and Homa-Bay sub counties respectively. In many cases, the demands and expectations from female principals are normally overwhelming. Enormous demands and expectations from school Boards of Management (BOM), parents, deputy principals, Heads of Departments (HODs), teachers, students, field Education Officers, sponsors, the community, politicians and mass media cause stress among secondary school principals. It is against this back drop that the study sought to establish factors and strategies that influence female principals stress and its effect on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Rachuonyo North and Homa -Bay Sub counties.

​​​​​​​Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to establish factors and strategies influencing female principals’ stress and its effect on students’ academic performance in Rachuonyo North and Homa Bay Sub counties, Kenya.

​​​​​​​Objectives of the Study

Objectives of the study relating to Rachuonyo North and Homa-Bay Sub counties were to:

1. Determine stress levels among public secondary school female principals;

2. Determine factors influencing stress among public secondary school female principals;

3. Establish influence of coping strategies on female principals’ stress;

4. Determine the effect of stress among female principals on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools.

Research Questions

The research was guided by the following research questions

1. What are the levels of stress among public secondary school female principals?

2. What factors influence stress among public secondary school female principals?

3. What is the influence of coping strategies on female principals’ stress?

4. What is the effect of stress on among female principals on students’ academic performance?

Significance of the Study

The finding of the study are significant to:

1. Ministry of Education (MOE), Teachers Service Commission and other stakeholders in the education sector in making decisions and policies with regard to stress management among female secondary school principals.

2. Future researchers in education sector by providing baseline information for future research in the education sector.

3. School principals by enabling evaluation of management systems in the schools with a view to improving management process such that education policy implementations may not be adversely affected.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

Scope

The study was confined to Rachuonyo North and Homa-Bay sub counties. The study focused on factors and strategies influencing female principals stress and its effect on students’ academic performance for the 2011 cohort. That is, the students who sat their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations in 2014.

​​​​​​​Limitations

One of the female principals did not complete the section of questionnaire that was used to collect qualitative data. That is, open-ended items of the questionnaire. Two of the principals did not participate fully in the interview sessions due to lack of interest. Triangulation technique was used to counter these limitations and therefore adequate information was provided for the study.