EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS ON THE INSTRUCTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Study Teaching is widely regarded as one of the oldest and most esteemed professions. It encompasses any activity or set of actions aimed at promoting learning. Akindutire and Biliyan (2001) describe teaching as the collective actions of both the instructor and the learner that enhance the learning process beyond what would occur otherwise. Adiotomre and Adams (2005) emphasize that teachers, alongside school administrators, are responsible for the daily functioning of schools and play a critical role in fostering and advancing quality education. They further argue that the competence, effectiveness, efficiency, and commitment of the teaching workforce significantly determine the quality and success of any educational system, regardless of geographical location. A teacher’s effectiveness is ultimately evaluated based on the degree to which the instructional objectives are achieved. For this reason, competent educators often reflect on their lessons to ensure that their intended outcomes are met. In Delta State, however, teacher effectiveness appears to have declined in recent years. Various explanations have been offered for this reduction in performance, with one of the most prominent being the increasing levels of stress faced by teachers. The teaching profession has become more demanding and stressful in recent times, negatively impacting instructional effectiveness. Selye (1978) defines stress as any external or internal demand that threatens to disrupt the equilibrium of an organism. Akhlaq, Amjad, Mehmood, Hussan, and Malik (2010) view stress as a psycho-physiological process resulting from an individual’s interaction with their environment, producing disturbances across psychological, physiological, and social domains depending on personal traits and psychological responses. Stress in teachers may stem from numerous sources, including social and developmental changes, financial burdens, housing issues, professional obligations, and academic pressures (Busari, 2011). Murphy and Murray (1995) identify several work-related stressors. These include: 1. Job-specific factors such as workload, meaning of work, hours, work environment, and isolation. 2. 3. Organizational role stress, including role ambiguity, employee accountability, and poorly defined boundaries. 4. 5. Career-related pressures such as job insecurity, overachievement, underachievement, and unmet aspirations. 6. 7. Workplace relationships, including conflicts with supervisors, colleagues, or subordinates, poor delegation practices, harassment, and violence. 8. 9. Organizational structure and climate, including management styles, communication practices, and degree of involvement in decision-making. 10. Stress is known to be a contributing factor to several life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, strokes, and immune dysfunction. Studies confirm that stress can lead to a variety of physical and psychological illnesses. Conditions like ulcers, diabetes, joint and muscular pain, miscarriage, allergies, baldness, and even premature tooth loss have been associated with chronic stress. Current trends in education expose numerous social and organizational stressors that can lead to teacher burnout. The evolving complexity of the teaching profession, combined with growing demands from both society and the educational system, has placed teachers under immense pressure. Despite these increasing expectations, there has been a decline in public support and value placed on education, resulting in dissatisfaction and health issues among teaching staff. Burnout among teachers is often due to the imbalance between job demands and the perceived rewards, as well as feelings of inefficacy in tracking student progress or gaining recognition. Several factors exacerbate burnout in teaching: the expectation to be subject-matter experts, to display patience and empathy, and to operate under constant evaluation by students, parents, and administrators. Moreover, many teachers work with students who may be resistant or indifferent to learning. Compared to other professions, teachers often receive lower remuneration and less recognition for their work. These factors contribute to a mismatch between expectations and reality, leading to professional dissatisfaction and stress. 1.2 Statement of the Problem Workload refers to the amount of tasks an individual or organization is expected to complete (Mbunda, 2006). This study explores the specific contributors to increased workload among teachers. These include the number of weekly class hours assigned to one teacher, test preparation and grading responsibilities, unequal task distribution, and administrative duties. Kyriacou and Ebuean (2001) assert that the causes of stress experienced by individual teachers are highly personalized and depend on the complex interplay of personal traits, values, abilities, and situational factors. Additionally, how teachers cope, their personalities, and the environments in which they operate all influence how they perceive and react to stress, ultimately affecting their emotional and mental well-being. Ben-Zur and Yagil (2005) define job stress and burnout as a syndrome of emotional, physical, and behavioral responses triggered by conditions inherent in caregiving or service-oriented professions such as teaching. While stress is understood to result from the interaction between an individual and their environment, its causes among teachers can be categorized into three broad areas: 1. Intrinsic factors specific to the teaching role. 2. 3. Cognitive factors, such as personal vulnerability and perception. 4. 5. Systemic factors, which include institutional and policy-related influences. 6. Systemic stressors do not stem directly from the act of teaching but are shaped by the broader organizational and political context of education. These might include institutional culture, bureaucratic constraints, and political pressures that impact the work environment. While much has been written on the general topic of teacher stress and burnout, few studies have examined the specific sources of stress among secondary school teachers. This gap in the literature forms the basis for the present study, which seeks to investigate the effect of job stress on teaching performance among secondary school teachers. 1.3     OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The general objective of the study will be to Examine the Impact of Occupational Stress on the Instructional Effectiveness of Secondary School Teachers , specifically the study intends to: i.      To find out the causes of job stress among teachers in Secondary Schools. ii.    To evaluate the  effect of job stress on the teaching performance of teachers in Secondary Schools. iii.  To investigate the  challenges of teachers in teaching of secondary school students. iv.  To proffer recommendation on how job stress can be managed among secondary school teachers. 1.4     RESEARCH QUESTIONS i.     what are the causes of job stress among teachers in Secondary Schools? ii.  what are the  effect of job stress on the teaching performance of teachers in Secondary Schools? iii.   what are the  challenges of teachers in teaching of secondary school students. iv.  what are the recommendation on how job stress can be managed among secondary school teachers? 1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES H0: Job stress does not have an effect on teachers teaching performance in secondary school Ha: Job stress have an effect on teachers teaching performance in secondary school 1.6       SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY This study will investigate the effect of job stress on teachers  teaching performance in secondary school. Hence it will be significant to the following: School management: this study is significant to the school management as it will be exposed to the causes of job stress among teachers and work on how to minimize the work load and still get effective performance, and there is need for school management to periodically carry out trainings for teachers on how to manage the stress that comes with teaching. Academia: this study is significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature on job stress among teachers. 1.7       SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study will Examine the Impact of Occupational Stress on the Instructional Effectiveness of Secondary School Teachers. The study will also evaluate the effect of job stress on the teaching performance of teachers in Secondary Schools. The study will further investigate the  challenges of teachers in teaching of secondary school students. Lastly, the study will proffer recommendation on how job stress can be managed among secondary school teachers. Hence the study will be delimited to Delta State. 1.8       LIMITATION OF THE STUDY Just like any other research, unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, and inability to get data were among the constraints the researcher encountered in the cause of this study. Financial constraint was equally faced by  the researcher, in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires. Furthermore, time factor pose another constraint because the researcher have to shuttle between writing of the research and engaging in other academic work which made it uneasy for the researcher. 1.9       DEFINITION OF TERMS JOB: a paid position of regular employment. STRESS: pressure or tension exerted on a material object TEACHER: a person who teaches, especially in a school