Occupational stress in secondary school teachers: examining the role of students’ disruptive behaviour and/or attitud es and the perceived difficulty in conflict management

• Main Authors: María J. Santiago, José M. Otero-López, Cristina Castro, Estíbaliz Villardefrancos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: ASUNIVEP 2008-03-01
• Series: European Journal of Education and Psychology
• Subjects: Stress; teachers; students‟ disruptive behaviour; conflict management
• Online Access: http://formacionasunivep.com/ejep/index.php/journal/article/view/5

This study examines not only the role of students‟ disruptive be haviour and/or attitudes but also the difficulties perceived by teachers in managing conflicts as a function of the different sociodemographic and occupational variables (gender, age, professional experience, teaching cycle). The results obtained from a sample consisting in 1386 ESO teachers allow us to conclude that both types of stressors validly discriminate as a function of sociodemographic and occupational variables. Specifically, the stress associated to students‟ disruptive behaviour and to the difficulties faced by teachers in managing conflict has a greater incidence on female teachers, on second cycle teachers and on intermediate stages in the profession. If these findings are corroborated by further research, it would be important to design prevention and/or intervention programmes that are sensitive to these risk factors.