Teacher stress during a school year: Covariance and mean structure analyses

Abstract

This study examined teacher stress over a school year. A total of 142 teachers made repeated assessments (12 in all) of the stress indicators by answering questionnaires during the school year of 1983–1984. Longitudinal quasi‐simplex models and modifications of these were constructed for the analysis of the structural features of the teacher stress process over a school year. By using these models all the stress data could be analysed at the same time in a statistically efficient way. According to the constructed models, teacher stress was a stable process during terms, which meant that the variance in latent stress in the measurements was well explained by the previous measurement. The Christmas holidays, however, upset the stability of the stress process between terms. In spite of this stability of the covariance structure there were changes in the means and levels of latent stress. During the autumn term the stress level increased and weekend recovery from stress stopped towards the end of the term. During the spring term, weekend recovery continued throughout the term.