An Analysis of Perceived Stress in Elementary and Secondary Student Teachers and Full-Time Teachers

Two hundred and four elementary and secondary public school teachers and student teachers were presented with an inventory of potentially stressful school situations in five categories: discipline and classroom management, personal relations with students, student progress, institutional demands, and facilities and supplies. Subjects rated the situations according to levels of stressfulness and importance. Dependent measures were analyzed employing a 2 (elementary vs. secondary) × 2 (full-time vs. student teacher) MANOVA. Analysis of the data revealed that elementary school teachers reported significantly higher levels of stress than secondary school teachers. Significant univariates were found between these two groups in four of the five categories. The pattern of significant effects supports a conception of two types of stress, structural and conflict, affecting the teacher.