Developing and Validating a Model for Teachers’ Occupational Stressors in Schools of Tehran

Abstract

Unlike the changes occurred in the various countries education systems contents and structure, still teachers are considered as the main educational and growing pillars; thus, teachers status improvement is considered as one of the solutions for the educational and growing issues.The purpose of this study is identification of factors related with teacher's occupational stress and developing a model for predicting and estimating teachers’ occupational stress to promoting the instructional quality in schools.A sample of 600 teachers (247 male and 353 female) were randomly chosen from elementary, secondary, and high schools. Four questionnaires were used as a data collection instrument: 1) Features and facilities of classroom and school; 2) Van Der Doef Occupational Stress Questionnaire; 3) Organizational climate Description Questionnaire, and 4) Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale. To determine relationships and importance of every related component with teachers’ occupational stress, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) as well as variance-covariance matrix analysis was used.Data analysis and consideration of the pattern of the causal relations between variables indicated that number of students, directional management style, efficacy in classroom management, efficacy in student engagement have positive and significant relationship with teacher stress, and factors such as teacher experience, facilities, supportive management style, efficacy in instructional strategies, and problems about students have negative effect on teachers stress. In general, presented model of relationships between variables can predict 70% of teachers stress.Due to the results of this study, it may be expressed that the teachers’ sources of occupational stress may be mitigated through controlling the factors affective on occupational stress and help the same to fulfil their occupational duties in rendering the educational services to the students in a better manner.