Stress Factors of Middle School Teachers

This paper reports on a research project to identify school program criteria producing the highest teacher stress levels for three new middle schools. The middle-school environment embodies specific concepts endemic to educating adolescents. The new middle schools opened with teachers who were unfamiliar with both middle-school concepts and with each other. The research was completed at the end of the first full year of middle-school operation and addressed both personal and professional stress indicators. A survey based on a Likert forced-choice method was developed and administered to every middle-school teacher in the three new schools. Results indicated that teachers were most stressed by three concerns: increased length of the school day, competition generated among students and teachers, and overall lack of communication. Results were compared with teacher and school demographic factors for quantitative analysis, but no significant factors were determined. Findings were useful in reducing teacher stress levels for the upcoming school year. Three tables summarizing each school's stress indicators are appended. (8 references) (Author/MLH)