Causes of Stress among Secondary School Teachers in Ikere-Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

The attributes and qualities of a good teacher are numerous and fulfilling these can become a major source of stress for teachers most especially in secondary schools. As a builder of the nation with so much lying on their shoulder everyday, weekly and termly, meeting up with the task of producing and transforming individual into productive and capable citizen that can contribute to national development is a work that cannot be separated from stress. It was on this note that the researcher sought to focus on causes and management strategies of stress among secondary school teachers in Ikere-Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The survey design of the descriptive type of research was used for the study. The sample size of three hundred (300) secondary school teachers was used for the study. The instrument for data collection was a self-constructed questionnaire. The data gathered from the administered questionnaire was analysed using inferential statistics of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings on effect of career upgrading on stress level of secondary school teachers revealed that the effect of career upgrading was statistically significant as F-value (292.525) was very high, df = (1, 298) and P < 0.05 at 0.05 level of significance. Also, findings on effect of heavy workload on stress level of secondary school teachers revealed that the effect of heavy workload was statistically significant as F-value (1855.050) was very high, df = (1, 298) and P < 0.05 at 0.05 level of significance. From the findings, it was concluded by the researcher that workplace distance, career upgrading, and heavy workload had effect on stress level of secondary school teachers in Ikere-Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The researcher then recommend that teachers should endeavor to reside or stay close around the school so as to reduce the stress of transportation to school daily. School management should encourage teachers who are aspiring to upgrade their career to apply for educational leave so as to study conveniently without no stress.