Sources And Levels Of Stress Among Teachers In Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study sought to establish levels of stress among teachers, what stresses Zimbabwean teachers and how these teachers cope with the stress. Subjects (N-165) were teachers drawn from Masvingo and Manicaland Educational Provinces. A questionnaire was used to collect data. A t-test for independent samples was used to analyse the data. The results showed that teachers have moderate stress levels. The results showed that there is no significant difference in stress levels between male and female teachers and between graduate and non-graduate teachers in Zimbabwe. It also emerged that teachers are stressed by heavy teaching loads, low salaries, student indiscipline and poor working environments. The teachers also indicated that they use more than one strategy to reduce stress. Recommendations on coping with stress were made.