The Educational Institute of Scotland survey of workload and stress is
eagerly awaited. Graeme Smith reports on two recent research projects
which show that times are tougher for teachers
PRIMARY school teachers and higher education college lecturers are
suffering considerable stress and the solution in both cases lies with
the management, according to research carried out in Aberdeen.
Senior educational psychologist John Proctor recently finished
analysing the results of a survey with Aberdeen University's Department
of Mental Health which covered more than 30 primary schools in Grampian
region.
In the past research has been concentrated on secondary schools,
possibly because of a general perception that secondary teachers were
more likely to face stress.
The fact there was a 93% response from the 350 teachers contacted
provided an early indicator that primary teachers also faced
difficulties. The research eventually showed that 36% of the teachers
were suffering serious anxiety.
Research carried out by Mr Ralph Dutch of Aberdeen's Northern College,
with Mr Donald Christie and Mr Peter Clarke at Strathclyde University's
Jordanhill Campus, highlighted the problems facing college of education
staff. They discovered that more than 90% of academic staff who
responded to a survey involving five teacher training centres did not
believe managements were on their side.
Lecturers, including those in promoted posts, felt they were being
asked to do too much but did not feel free to criticise management for
fear of the consequences.
Mr Proctor said one of the problems of occupational stress was the
difficulty in defining it. To overcome this problem the primary teacher
research was based on tried and tested measures of anxiety and
depression.
''The response rate was very encouraging, which meant the findings
were representative of teachers in Grampian region,'' he said.
The research indicated that depression did not seem to be a problem
and at one in 20 was no higher than might be expected nationally .
''The main nugget was that 36% of the sample were coming out with high
levels of anxiety,'' said Mr Proctor. ''That is far higher than normal
in the community and certainly was surprising.
''We then looked at what seemed to be associated with these high
anxiety levels. It had nothing to do with whether the teachers worked in
the city or the provinces. It had nothing to do with whether the school
was from a fairly affluent area or a disadvantaged area, which again was
surprising. It had nothing to do with the age or teaching experience of
the teacher.''
But there were three basic features associated with anxiety: workload,
time pressures, and excessive change in the system, as perceived by
teachers.
The research showed that certain schools seemed to be handling the
situation better than others. Where teachers felt they were being
supported by promoted staff it helped them deal with external pressures
which perhaps they could not do anything about.
''If they were in a supportive social environment it seemed to help,''
said Mr Proctor. ''If the head teacher could offer support to the staff
by acting as some kind of a filter for a lot of the external pressures,
this helped. If the school had a definite aim about where it was going
and class teachers felt they were part of this aim that caused morale to
be high. Although teaching is a very stressful profession the schools
themselves are not helpless in that the type of organisation within a
school, the type of culture, does appear to help moderate the anxiety
levels teachers are experiencing.''
Mr Proctor's research started in 1989 before many of the recent
changes in education and he accepts that teacher stress could now be
even greater.
''Although one cannot assume the situation has worsened there have
been a lot of changes and a further survey would be required to assess
this.
''There are also questions posed with the advent of devolved
management of schools. Obviously heads will be taken up more with
financial matters and that could mean they will not be able to give the
time or attention to developing the ethos in the school that seems to
help teachers cope with problems.''
The teacher training college survey showed how 70% of respondents
remained glad they had chosen to work in them. Nearly three-quarters
derived satisfaction from their job but almost half had lain awake at
night on occasion worrying about their work while more than one-quarter
would leave at the first opportunity.
The proportion of those satisfied with their salary ranged from 67% in
Dundee to 35% in Aberdeen.
The researchers wrote they were ''uncertain whether this result
confirms the validity of their questionnaire, testifies to the truth of
the popular stereotype about Aberdeen or is simply a reflection of the
cost of living in the oil rich city''.
''The people who responded to this questionnaire still believe in the
value of what they are doing and are overwhelmingly concerned to
maintain and improve the value of their teaching,'' the authors
concluded.
''They appear also, however, to be a group where a combination of
circumstances and pressures have been operating to produce a heightened
level of stress that is, at the very least, threatening to damage their
capacity to work at the level they feel their job requires and to
continue to experience satisfaction with their work.''
They said these circumstances must arouse concern in any fair-minded,
objective principal and went on: ''It will hardly be possible for these
colleges to remain, or become, healthy academic institutions until this
problem is openly recognised, accepted, and grappled with.''
' There were three basic features associated with anxiety: workload,
time pressures, and excessive change in the system, as perceived by
teachers '
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