Concordia University St. Paul DigitalCommons@CSP Concordia University Portland Graduate CUP Ed. Dissertations Research 8-1-2019 Teacher Stress and Coping: A Qualitative Case Study Jennifer Ramsey Tolliver Concordia University - Portland, jrram99@gmail.com Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.edu/cup_commons_grad_edd Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Ramsey Tolliver, J. Teacher Stress and Coping: A Qualitative Case Study (Thesis, Concordia University, St.
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Concordia University - Portland CU Commons Ed. Dissertations Graduate Theses & Dissertations 8-2019 Teacher Stress and Coping: A Qualitative Case Study Jennifer Ramsey Tolliver Concordia University - Portland Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.edu/edudissertations Part of the Education Commons CU Commons Citation Ramsey Tolliver, Jennifer, "Teacher Stress and Coping: A Qualitative Case Study" (2019).edu/edudissertations/324 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Theses & Dissertations at CU Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ed. Dissertations by an authorized administrator of CU Commons.
For more information, please contact libraryadmin@cu-portland. Concordia University–Portland College of Education Doctorate of Education Program WE, THE UNDERSIGNED MEMBERS OF THE DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CERTIFY THAT WE HAVE READ AND APPROVE THE DISSERTATION OF Jennifer R Ramsey-Tolliver CANDIDATE FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION Mark Jimenez, Ed., Faculty Chair Dissertation Committee John Yoder, Ph., Content Specialist Doris Dickerson, Ed., Content Reader Teacher Stress and Coping: A Qualitative Case Study Jennifer Ramsey-Tolliver Concordia University–Portland College of Education Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the College of Education In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Higher Education Mark Jimenez, Ed.D, Faculty Chair Dissertation Committee John Yoder, Ph.D, Content Specialist Doris Dickerson, Ed.D, Content Reader Concordia University–Portland 2019 Abstract This study examines how stress affects the teacher participants in a rural school in Alabama and how those teachers cope with stress. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the effects of teacher stress and the ways in which stress is dealt with through coping strategies. Thirteen teachers from one school in the district were invited to participate.
Eight teachers of the thirteen agreed to be interviewed as part of the study, which included all the K–6 teachers (with the exception of fourth grade), the literacy coach, and the physical education teacher. The final finding is that increasing support, creating positive work environments within the school, and incorporating a mindset of effective communication can reduce the effects of stress and build coping strategies. Understanding sources of stress and how they affect teachers will be essential to help guide future research and best ways of coping. The study of teacher stress and coping suggest a need to recognize stress and understand its affects are important to the teacher interactions of implementing coping strategies.
Researched-based methods and models for reducing the effects of teacher stress are needed and identifying coping strategies is as well using guide lines for such an agenda. Keywords: stress, burnout, coping, strategies, affects ii Dedication In honor of my mother and father, JoAnn and McNair Ramsey, without whose support and dedication to my ambitions, I would not be the person that I am today. Their loving and encouraging spirit taught me to think big and reach for my goals. In honor of my husband Nicholas, who encouraged me to never give up.
In honor of my daughter, Jonaira, whose caring spirit and undying love carried me through the rough patches. Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment, which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart. – Martin Luther King Jr.
In loving memory of my grandparents, Marie and Joseph Anderson and Ruth Abner. May you continue to look down from heaven and smile because you have blessed my life in so many ways. I heard you and listened. “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 King James Version).
iii Acknowledgments I want to acknowledge my dissertation supervisor, Dr. Mark Jimenez, whose patient guidance, expertise, and encouragement helped pushed me to higher levels. He is truly dedicated to assisting students reach their goals and helping them realize that they can do more. I would also like to acknowledge Dr.
John Yoder and Dr. Doris Dickerson for their patience, kindness, and willingness to help me interpret, understand, and shape my study to be meaningful. I also want to acknowledge my family who understood when I needed to focus and offered kind, loving, and patient support. You kept me motivated and gave much support and prayers.
I’ve been blessed with a loving family and consequently have had tremendous help in accomplishing my educational goals. Thank you to all of you for always listening to me, supporting me, and being there for me. iv Table of Contents Abstract. iv Table of Contents.
v List of Tables. viii Chapter 1: Introduction. 1 Introduction to the Problem. 1 Background, Context, History, and Conceptual Framework of the Problem.
3 Statement of the Problem. 5 Purpose of the Study. 7 Rationale, Relevance, and Significance of the Study. 7 Definition of Terms.
8 Assumptions, Delimitations, and Limitations. 11 Chapter 2: Literature Review. 18 Review of Research Literature and Methodological Literature. 23 Synthesis of Research Findings.
41 Purpose and Design of Study. 43 Research Population and Sampling Method. 45 Identification of Attributes. 46 Data Analysis Procedures.
47 Limitations of the Research Design. 52 Ethical Issues in the Study. 53 Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Results. 54 Description of the Sample.
55 vi Data Collection. 59 Summary of the Findings. 60 Presentation of the Data and Results. 81 Summary of the Results.
84 Discussion of the Results. 85 Discussions of Results in Relation to the Literature. 92 Implications of the Results for Practice, Policy, and Theory. 94 Recommendations for Further Research.
104 Appendix B: Interview Questions. 123 Appendix C: CU IRB Approval. 124 Appendix D: Initial Theme from Stress and Coping Interview. 125 Appendix D: Initial Theme from Stress and Coping Interview (Continued).
126 Appendix E: Consent Form. 127 Appendix F: Debriefing Form. 129 Appendix G: Statement of Original Work. 130 vii List of Tables Table 1.
Triangulation of the Data…………………………………………………………. Time Stress Occurs………………………………………………………………. Level of Stress……………………………………………………………………. Negative Effects of Stress for Teacher Participants…………………………….
Strategies for Coping…………………………………………………………………. Types of Coping Strategies………………………………………………………….70 viii Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction to the Problem Teachers are important. Teachers are needed for the growth and development of students outside the home. Teachers are needed for the success and achievement of other careers as well.
However, with the increasing demands and higher expectations of what teachers are to do within the classroom, the stress of the job and how the teachers cope has become a greater challenge (McCarthy, Lambert, O’Donnell, & Melendres, (2009). Teaching is stressful, and the stressors involved can eventually deter a teacher’s will to teach (Kyriacou, 2001). According to Abel and Sewell (1999), teacher stress is not just rooted in overcrowded classrooms or classrooms located in rough, urban communities; teacher stress can also be identified in rural classroom settings with a smaller population of children. Scholarly research on teacher stress and coping identifies that teacher stress leads to burnout, emotional strain, and, in some cases, leaving the profession altogether.
Chang (2009) discusses this theory and draws attention to the high levels of stress that affect teachers’ internal and external abilities if coping strategies are not implemented. The American Psychological Association (2011) reported that most Americans identify their stress levels as being five or higher on a scale of 1 to 10. In comparison, over half of the teachers experience some form of stress; however, only 7% identify as having low stress and high coping skills. There is a need to further research stress factors and coping techniques for a more substantial understanding of what teachers are stressed about the most, is there a consensus in the stress factors, and how to cope with that stress.
Skaalvik and Skaalvik (2010) indicated in their research that teaching is one of the most stressful professions. In the literature, teaching-related stress is described as negative feelings 1 such as depression, frustration, and tension. It also shows that professional burnout results in performing tasks less effectively and taking longer to complete them. Mearn and Cain (2003) recognized that among teachers, burnout has been linked to negative outcomes and professional consequences, including emotional exhaustion, depression, impaired occupational functioning, and dissatisfaction with one’s career choice.
Burnout has negative consequences for students and teachers’ families as well (Westman, 2001). Particularly vulnerable are novice teachers, who may choose to leave the field due to burnout. Past estimates are that as many as 20% of all new teachers give up teaching during their first few years on the job; those who leave may be the ones with the greatest potential for success (Fimian & Blanton, 1987). If teaching is known to be a stressful profession, then stressors may eventually erode teachers’ enthusiasm and willingness to teach, leading to burnout.
It is important to understand how teachers deal with the everyday demands and challenges associated with the teaching profession, not only to alleviate them of stress but also to reduce the possibility of burnout and promote engagement and learning within classrooms. Such information would be useful in order to begin to identify the coping process that targets early intervention and effective good practices. Shaalvick and Shaalvick (2016) indicated that stress involved in teaching can lead to decreases in teacher motivation and engagement. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, stress is defined as bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium.
Day (2005) states that stress is not a useful term because the term implies a phenomenon. Because of this disagreement among academics, stress is not well defined and therefore difficult to measure. Day (2005), who referenced Seyle’s theory, suggests stress is “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change” (p. The definition the author referenced will be used in this study.
2 One reason stress is challenging, and at times complicated, is because there is a lack of coping methods for teachers. According to Skinner and Beers (2016), some individual actions that take place in response to stressors (e., venting, problem-solving, and supporting) are also coping methods. A healthy work environment is where teachers recognize their stress and find ways to cope. Therefore, this qualitative study sought to determine how stress affects teachers in their everyday work.
The study also sought to show how teachers cope with stress recognizing variables that could lead to a new sense of awareness, empowerment of the job, and a feeling of improved support. Background, Context, History, and Conceptual Framework of the Problem Background. Awareness regarding teacher stress has increased over the years, according to Wiegel, Sattler, Gontiz, and Diewald (2016). The authors also suggest that working conditions have become more complex.
For example, the demands of higher standards and increased levels of accountability, as noted by Day and Gu (2013), are among the challenges confronted by teachers. There is also evidence that shows a link between stress and burnout. Rubino (2009) found that stress and the demands of the job are influential factors towards burnout. The potential for stress in a teacher’s work can be associated with several independent factors that, when cumulatively, may lead to more significant issues.
It is assumed that there are causal bases for stress. Context is often a cause, and sometimes an effect, of stress.