Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies: Home

Article Title: Stress, job stress, work characteristics, personality characteristics, teaching profession.
by Dr.(Mrs) M.K. Soetan and Mr. M.O Oyetayo

Abstract:
Stress is a growing concern in today's society. It has been described as a force which affects human beings physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. In considering job stress, its effect on the performance and productivity of workers cannot be over-emphasized. High levels of stress can be harmful to teachers and may negatively affect their teaching, personal lives and most importantly, their students. This paper focuses on personality, work characteristics and job stress in a bid to mitigates the effects on teaching profession. Though research evidence indicates that work environment and personality characteristics determine to a large extent, workers reaction to stress, there are uncertainties on specific work and personality characteristics that make teachers susceptible to stress. The major purpose of this paper is to delineate personal and work related factors that might influence the level of stress experienced by teachers. It will help teachers to know the personality factors that may influence their stress level and probably seek for counselling intervention to reduce or manage it. It will attempt to provide information on the influence of work- related factors on teacher stress level and ways of ensuring an enabling environment where they can function effectively. It was recommended that awareness should be created among teachers about signs, causes and effects of stress so that necessary steps could be taken to reduce it. Seminars and workshops should be organized by education administrators periodically to enlighten teachers on different ways of coping with stress and government should make provision for recruitment of more teachers so that their workload could be bearable and experience reduction in their stress level. However, the influence of other factors like gender, marital status, school ownership, rank e.t.c on teacher stress level could be considered for further studies.

Keywords: Stress, job stress, work characteristics, personality characteristics, teaching profession.

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