Perceived Sources of Occupational Stress among Primary School Teachers in Delta State of Nigeria

Introduction The main aim of the school system is to ensure that pupils learn well and achieve the goals of education. For this noble aim to be realized much depend on the teachers, who are vested with the responsibility of instructing pupils. Aremu and Akpochafo (2007) noted that teachers' relevance and services are sine quanon to the educational excellence a country may wish to attain. Without real commitment from teachers, school goals cannot be achieved. Cooper and Cartwright (1994), Kinman (1998), Spielberger and Rehieser (1994) have established that occupational stress is one of the crucial factors affecting workers' performance and this includes teachers. Stress, according to Selye (1978), refers to any external event or internal drive which threatens to upset the organismic equilibrium. Occupational stress refers to the physical, mental and emotional wear and tear brought about by the incongruence between the requirement of the job and the capabilities, resources and needs of the employee to cope with job demands (Akinboye, Akinboye and Adeyemo, 2002). Occupational stress is wide spread, rampant, and complex and has assumed great importance in work places hence Akinboye et al (2002) referred to it as the twentieth century disease. Tnetteman and Punch (2005), asserted that teachers are exposed to high levels of occupational stress no matter the level they teach. When workers experience occupational stress, it is of great loss to the organization as Cooper and Cartwright (1994) reported that about fifty percent of all the absences from work are in some manner stress related. No doubt job stress can lead to ineffectiveness, low performance, job dissatisfaction, poor motivation, absenteeism and turnover. Cooper (2002) and Kyriacou (1996) reported that researches have been undertaken in USA and Europe about the sources and symptoms of stress. Due to the importance of maximum achievement and its negative impact, most countries are carrying out researches on stress (Tnetteman, 1999; Cooper and Cartwright, 1996). The few studies done in Nigeria are Akinboye et al (2002), Azeez and Omolade (2009), Okebukola and Jegede (1989), Nwachukwu (1996), O'Lanre (2009) and Clifford (2005) but none on primary school teachers in Delta State. It is against this background that this study was conceived. The researcher wants to ascertain the sources of occupational stress for the primary school teachers and to determine the more prevalent ones. Azlihamis, Niyi, Aziah, Rusli and Mohd (2009) in their study on stress among secondary school teachers in Malaysia revealed that job related factors did not contribute much to stress. O'Lanre (2009) found out that the major source of stress for his subjects was the society. Gender is a variable to be considered. The concern is if male or female teachers perceive sources of occupational stress differently. Ravichandran and Rajendran (2007) discovered that there is gender difference in the perception of sources of stress. Manthei (1988) as reported by Ravichandram and Rajendram (2007) revealed that female teachers experience more stress than male teachers. Age and teaching experience are also demographic variables investigated. Azlihamis et al (2009) showed that the demographic variables of age, teaching experience were significantly associated with stress level. O'Lanre (2009) found that differences were significant for age. Research Questions The following research questions were asked to guide the study: 1. What are the sources of occupational stress among primary school teachers in Delta State? 2. Which of the sources of stress are more prevalent among teachers? Hypotheses The following hypotheses were formulated for this study: 1. There is no significant difference between male and female teachers' sources of occupational stress. 2. There is no significant difference in the occupational stress experienced by primary school teachers based on age. …