Original scientific paper

Origins of work stress in kindergarten teachers

Ivanka Živčić-Bećirević
Sanja Smojver-Ažić

Abstract

Stress in kindergarten and elementary school teachers has become a major area of international research interest in education. The main goal of this study was to develop a scale for the assessment of sources of stress at work for kindergarten teachers. We also wanted to compare the differences in the specific dimensions of the origins of stress between teachers with different lengths of work experience. Out of the 236 kindergarten teachers that participated in the study 42% thought that their job was very stressful. A 35-item kindergarten teacher event stress scale was developed. The scale has four interpretable factors with good internal consistency (interpersonal relationships, relations with parents, children’s behaviour problems and work conditions). The teachers in the middle age group (with 19-27 years of work experience) perceive interpersonal relationships as more stressful than their younger colleagues (with 10-18 years of work experience). The kindergarten teachers with the longest work experience (more than 28 years) assess work conditions as more stressful than their younger colleagues.

Keywords

kindergarten teacher stress; sources of work stress; interpersonal relationships; children behaviour problems

Hrčak ID:

11837

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/11837

Publication date:

1.12.2005.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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