The extent and causes of stress in teachers in the George region

Stress is currently a phenomenon that must be recognized and addressed in various professions and the teaching profession is no exception. Stress in the workplace can cause "job compassion fatigue". In the past teachers did not consider stress to be the primary cause when they needed to escape from the school environment, but rather claimed to be overworked in such a case. Far too many teachers have to take sick leave, whilst others are leaving the profession as a result of burn-out. Some teachers lack coping mechanisms to combat excess stress effectively, and this in turn can lead to absenteeism, alcohol and drug abuse, depression, frustration, hypertension, and other serious physical conditions, such as heart disease. Knowledge about stressors could be valuable in order to avoid and / or manage factors causing stress to teachers. The purpose of this particular research project was to establish which aspects of the teaching profession are stress-related in the George area. A questionnaire, of which one section was the "Fimian Teacher Stress Inventory", was administered to 132 secondary teachers. The data were statistically processed and the results interpreted. Interesting conclusions could be drawn from the results. Recommendations for teachers to manage their stress are based on these conclusions. South African Journal of Education Vol.23(3) 2003: 186-19