The Effect Of Teachers’ Stress On Students’ Academic Performance In Some Selected Schools

The Effect Of Teachers’ Stress On Students’ Academic Performance In Some Selected Schools

Abstract

The study looked at how instructors’ stress affected pupils’ academic performance in a few chosen secondary schools in Lagos State’s Oshodi Local Government Area. The questionnaire was used to assess the responses of the chosen respondents using the descriptive research survey design.

In this study, a random sampling procedure was utilized to select 120 respondents. In this study, four null hypotheses were developed and examined at a 0.05 level of significance utilizing the independent t-test for hypothesis one and the Pearson product moment correlation statistical techniques for hypotheses 2, 3, and 4.

The following findings were attained following the analyses:

– According to hypothesis one, teachers’ stress levels have a considerable impact on their pupils’ academic performance.

– The second hypothesis indicated a connection between the factors that stress instructors out and the academic achievement of the school’s kids.

– In hypotheses three, it was discovered that there is a strong link between the impact of societal stress and pupils’ academic performance in the classroom.

– Fourth, it was suggested that there is a connection between teachers’ emotional stress and students’ academic achievement in the classroom.

On the basis of these conclusions, certain suggestions were made.

– Teachers shouldn’t have too much work on their plates when doing their daily duties; instead, they should take care not to bring unfinished work home in order to avoid creating stressful situations. At the end of the day, they should cease working in their offices rather than carrying on at home.

– The enormous class size in our secondary schools is the bane of high academic accomplishment for pupils and it adds to the instructors’ already stressful working environment.

– The government should make sure that the teacher-to-student ratio specified in the National Policy of Education (NPE) is upheld. The government should make sure that additional teachers are hired in order to accommodate the large number of students enrolled in our schools.

Chapter One

1.1 The Study’s Background

Numerous studies have been conducted on the phenomenon of stress (Asmussen and Mazon, 1978; Karlson, 1979; Jones Bigland, Ritcine, and Edward, 1979; Ikulayo, 1987). It is now generally accepted from a variety of viewpoints based on the findings of several scientific studies that stress not only can negatively impact performance in nearly every area of human endeavor, but it can also damage the body if it is not effectively managed. Most individuals refer to mental and physical stress when they discuss home or work stress, and stress can truly have a detrimental impact on performance. Stress is neither a good nor a harmful phenomenon. Individuals and their perceptions of stress vary. When considering stress and people, it is important to remember that people consist of a physical body, a soul, and a spirit, three distinct yet interconnected parts. The three factors, including stress, are interconnected to the point where one influences the others. Stress in people is defined as any interruption with their physical, mental, or emotional health. When the body is asked to accomplish tasks outside of its typical capacity range, it happens. Individuals, families, students, instructors, and society as a whole suffer as a result. Different ways of stress exist. Individuals occasionally go through certain types of stress, including Eustress, Hyper-Stress, Hypo-Stress, and Distress. Uphoria, or happiness as a result of good news, a promotion, passing an exam, etc., is a characteristic of eustress. Anxiety, frustration, and rage are all seen as symptoms of distress. Hypostress is characterized by boredom, exhaustion, and a lack of stimulation, whereas hyperstress is defined by excessive excitement and juggling multiple tasks at once, which ultimately results in systemic failure. The root causes of stress, however, are not implausible. Any event that raises stress levels is referred to as a stressor, including death of a spouse, divorce, marriage separation, loss of loved ones, death of a close friend or relative, personal, marital reconciliation, pregnancy, business adjustments, job insecurity, school financial conditions, and church activities. People who are experiencing significant levels of emotional or mental stress are far more likely to suffer a heart attack, experience sudden cardiac arrest, and pass away than individuals with healthy arteries and less stress (Adeyemi, 2000). What are the stress-related factors in Nigeria? Nigeria has a diverse cultural and ethnic population. A few of the elements cited as contributing to stress in Nigeria are our culture, economics, way of life, having too many friends, our fear of aging and death, and a lack of enthusiasm at work. People who are under a lot of stress may start to lose their focus, although stress can have many different effects. This isn’t because they aren’t thinking about anything; rather, it’s because their minds are overloaded with thoughts. Stress makes people forgetful, unable to concentrate, hypersensitive, restless, and confused with so many things racing through their minds. If the person is a teacher, there is no way the students can perform well academically because they occasionally grow frustrated and argumentative (Ayo, 1994). Due to poverty, teachers’ perceptions of their profession and the general disapproval of teaching jobs have put them in stressful conditions that have a domino effect on the academic achievement of the children in Oshodi Local Government. 1.2 Description of the Issue The purpose of the study is to examine how teachers’ stress affects kids’ academic performance. There is no denying that teachers in this region, particularly those in wealthy countries, face more difficult situations than their counterparts in other regions. We’ve been subjected to excessive stress because of how teachers view the teaching profession and social attitudes toward the profession. Most of the time, teachers are compensated little compared to their peers in the nation. The inability to rent the home of their choice, the inability to fulfill basic family responsibilities, low self-esteem, the inability to deal with difficult students in the classroom, an excessive workload in the areas of lesson notes, marking, recording, or grading, teaching, jealousy among colleagues, and job insecurity are all enough to make teachers in schools anxious, which in turn affects the academic performance of the students. Notable among these are inattentiveness and exhaustion, as the proverb “a hungry man is an angry man” states, which causes poor performance and focus loss. When someone experiences hypersensitivity, restlessness, and mental perplexity. A person’s analgesic may occasionally experience a persistent headache that does not go away with over-the-counter pain relievers, gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea or constipation, and general body aches that may be worse in certain areas. However, when these physical effects of stress become severe, the affected teacher may experience hyperarousal, depression, high blood pressure, and throat and mouth drying. In these situations, the teacher has nothing to offer the students but merely serves as a static presence in the classroom. Teachers who are under stress may experience symptoms such as teeth grinding, sweating, frequent urination, diarrhoea, indigestion, tension, neck pain, compulsive eating, and increased smoking, all of which have the opposite effect on students’ academic performance. The moment has come to address this matter once and for all, to examine the precise definition of stress for teachers, to examine potential causes, and to favor solutions for its impacts. 1.3 The Goal of the Research Investigate the term “stress” and the many types of stress are the study’s goals. The researcher will also investigate the potential triggers of teachers’ stress as well as how instructors’ stress affects students’ academic performance in the classroom. More importantly, the study will focus on discovering strategies for dealing with or treatments for stress when it occurs. 1.4 Questions for Research The research will address the following queries: 1) How do teachers’ stress levels affect students’ academic achievement in the classroom? 2) Do instructors in public schools experience any sources of stress? (3) Does stress have an impact on society? 4) Are there any solutions or treatments for the effects of stress on school teachers? 1.5 Research Propositions In this investigation, the following null hypotheses will be tested: 1) The academic achievement of students will not be impacted by teachers’ stress. 2) There is no connection between the factors that stress instructors out and the academic achievement of their students. 3) There will be no correlation between pupils’ academic achievement and the effects of societal stress. 4) There is no connection between academic achievement of kids and teachers’ emotional stress. 1.6 Importance of the Research The following people listed below will gain from this study: 1) Teachers – The results and suggestions of this study will be helpful to teachers who are stressed out due to their workload in the classroom since they will help them identify some of the difficulties brought on by stress and how to best avoid them. Through this study, many teachers will gain a better understanding of the effects of stress, such as illness that can cause poor work performance or even death. As a result, they would avoid situations that could make them anxious. 2) Students – Students at all levels will benefit from this study since it would help them recognize the stressful situations that are related to their studies and learn how to handle or even avoid them as stress is one of life’s unavoidable problems. 3) Government – The government, in particular the Ministry of Education, will gain a better understanding of the negative impacts of stress on the teaching and learning processes of both instructors and students in the educational system as a result of this study. Other workers who are not in the teaching profession will also profit from it. Governments might develop education policy using the study’s results and recommendations without having to subject teachers and kids to as much stress. 4) The School Authority – The school authority will be able to obtain the data required to understand how stress affects teachers’ and kids’ learning results in the educational setting and come up with solutions. 5) The Society – The society and new researchers will both gain a great deal from this study because it will act as a resource for them and provide them with valuable information into the relationship between teacher stress and kids’ academic performance. 1.7 Purpose of the Research The study will look at how instructors’ stress affects pupils’ academic performance in a few chosen secondary schools in Lagos State’s Oshodi Local Government Area. 1.8 Definition of Terms In this investigation, the following operational terms will be defined: 1. Stress – According to Anozie (1990), stress refers to a bad feeling or unpleasant emotional state that results from studying or performing a learning activity while acting in the capacity of a student and while acting in the capacity of a teacher. It is a recognition of a difficult request or incident. For instance, how well teachers execute in their classroom tasks when faced with challenging circumstances like a hostile environment when there is a dearth of the supplies of equipment and other facilities needed for effective teaching and learning. Due to the difficult tasks they must complete as teachers as a result, teachers often produce work that is lacking in accuracy and quality. 2. Environmental factors This refers to all the environmental factors that have an impact on growth and development, according to Ayodele (1974). the elements of nature that support human life, such as the air, land, and water. This suggests that the working conditions for teachers, particularly those employed in the public school system, are not exactly stellar. For instance, the learning environment in many schools in Lagos State does not provide any grounds for complaint. This is due to the fact that many schools today. There is the issue of overcrowded classrooms with between 50 and 80 kids being taught. Due to these circumstances, the teacher is unable to completely express himself or evaluate the students in accordance with school regulations. Due to this, the teacher’s task goes unfinished, which has an impact on the academic achievement of the students who are taught in such an environment. Additionally, the government does not provide teachers with the supportive environment necessary for them to carry out their duties, which has led to several gaps in the teaching and learning process.