Stress management in schools in the Mafikeng area

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate management of stress among educators in schools in Mafikeng area. It was hoped that a broader understanding of the distinctive factors that account for identification of stressors and how educators try to cope with or manage them and highlight the effects of these stressful experience on the physical domain, emotional health, mental functions, behavioural efficiency, interpersonal relationships and personal productivity on educators, and to provide some guidelines to ways of controlling, managing and combating stress among educators. A multi-faced instrument technique, comprising a questionnaire and document reviews were employed to gather data. The research paradigm that was used to underpin this study was the survey method where both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from questionnaire. The study revealed that educators were stressed up due to numerous factors such as, salary not commensurate with their qualification and experience, ill discipline among learners and work overload etc. There are suggested methods in how to manage or cope with stress among educators in our schools. The research had some limitations, which include; the subjects might not at the time of research be able to identify their stressors, hence the results of the study might not be reliable and generalisation of results not possible because only ten schools were selected.