Work Stress And Stress Management Among Higher Secondary School Teachers In Tenkasi District

Abstract

Teaching at the higher secondary level involves several academic, administrative and interpersonal responsibilities. Teachers are expected to complete the syllabus within a prescribed period, evaluate students, maintain records, participate in school activities and respond to the expectations of students, parents and management. These responsibilities may create work stress when teachers experience excessive workload, time pressure, inadequate resources or insufficient organisational support. Effective stress management is therefore important for maintaining teachers' well-being, job satisfaction and teaching effectiveness. The present study examines work stress and stress management among higher secondary school teachers in Tenkasi District. The study is based on primary data collected from 297 higher secondary school teachers using a structured questionnaire. A five-point Likert scale was used to measure different dimensions of work stress and stress management. Exploratory Factor Analysis using Principal Component Analysis with Varimax rotation was employed to identify the underlying dimensions of the study. The factor analysis identified five major dimensions, namely Workload and Time Pressure, Role and Administrative Stress, Student and Parent-Related Stress, Organisational Support and Work Environment, and Stress Management and Coping Practices. The KMO value and Bartlett's Test indicate the suitability of the data for factor analysis, while the extracted factors explain a substantial proportion of the total variance. The study suggests that reducing unnecessary workload, improving organisational support, strengthening communication and encouraging healthy coping practices can help teachers manage work-related stress effectively.