Date
9-2020
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction (EdD)
Chair
Amy Jones
Keywords
Teacher Stress, School Climate, Upper Elementary, Revised School Level Environment Questionnaire (R-SLEQ), Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI)
Disciplines
Education | Elementary Education
Recommended Citation
Eason, Andrea Wood, "The Predictive Relationship Between School Climate and Self-Perceived Stress Levels Among Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Teachers" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 2662.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2662
Abstract
Educational research continues to show that teachers are leaving the field of education in large numbers for a variety of reasons. One documented reason for teacher attrition is job-related stress. This correlational, predictive study examined the relationships between the predictor variables of school climate (collaboration, decision-making, instructional innovation, school resources, and student relations) with the criterion variable of teacher stress among fourth- and fifth-grade public school teachers from across the United States. A convenience sample of 68 teachers participated in the study by completing the Revised School Level Environment Questionnaire (R-SLEQ), which measured school climate, and the Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI), which measured teacher stress. A multiple regression analysis was used to determine if a significant predictive relationship exists between school climate and teacher stress. Data analysis revealed a significant relationship between school climate and teacher stress. Of the five school climate factors studied, decision-making was found to be the only significant predictor. Implications of the research included the need for districts and school leaders to cultivate a positive school climate and provide opportunities for teachers to be involved in school-based decision-making as a means to reduce teacher stress.
