EFL Teachers' Stress and Coping Strategies: the case of public primary schools in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

EFL teachers usually experience stress as a result of environmental and personal factors. However, the problem and its triggering factors appear to be overlooked in the study context. Thus, the goal of this study is to look into EFL teachers' stress, the factors that contribute to it, and coping strategies used in public primary schools in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia. Mixed methods design, cluster sampling, and judgemental sampling techniques were used in the investigation. A total of 100 EFL teachers took part in it. Data was collected using a questionnaire and an interview, and descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the data. The findings demonstrate that the majority of the teachers have experienced stress and that all of the posited factors have a substantial association with the problem. The major finding is that stress negatively affects EFL teachers' working behavior. In light of this finding, it is suggested that coping strategies training be provided. The study has pedagogical implications as it suggests that emotional intelligence and stress coping techniques be included in EFL teaching methodology courses. Finally, because the sample is too small to generalize to various situations, more research on a large scale is suggested to understand the magnitude of the problem's expansion in the region.