Stressors in the professional lives of South African secondary school learners

Abstract

We identify current stressors in the professional lives of South African secondary
school educators. The study was exploratory, using a questionnaire, which
listed 19 possible causes of stress and was completed by 987 educators from
all racial groups and provinces in the country. South African educators in
general currently experience the following as stressors: uninvolved parents, poor
learner discipline, lack of learner motivation, learners' negative attitudes towards
themselves, numerous changes inside and outside the school, and lack
of self-esteem. Male and female educators differed significantly in their perceptions
of some stressors. Educators with six to 15 years of experience and
who were between 36 and 45 years old differed significantly from others on
some issues.

Keywords: educator; models; secondary school; South Africa; stressors; stress

South African Journal of Education Vol. 27 (4) 2007: pp. 691-708