BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY INTO SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1164109Keywords:
Education System, Organizational Stress, Secondary School, Work Stress, WorkloadAbstract
Work stress among teachers is an issue that needs to be addressed and discussed. Coping strategies are needed to eliminate the causes of teacher work stress to enable teachers to perform effectively. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the causes of work stress among teachers. This study employed a qualitative approach involving in-depth interviews. Sampling involves four experienced secondary school teachers. The interview data were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed. The findings reveal four primary sources of work stress, namely, workload, organizational culture, leadership quality, and students’ behavioral problems. If these issues are not addressed properly, they may adversely affect the national educational system. Therefore, it is important to develop proposals for comprehensive models to support teachers. This study provides qualitative insights into the lived experiences of Malaysian secondary school teachers, contributes to the understanding of occupational stress in the education sector, and offers practical implications for improving teachers’ well-being and workplace environment through development of models that could overcome work stress among teachers while contributing to the literature on education. Among the causes of stress are workload, organizational culture, leadership quality, and students’ behavioral problems.
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