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 '