EFFECTS OF TEACHERS' STRESS AND FRUSTRATION ON JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The term stress is derived from the Latin word "stringere," which meaning to afflict or squeeze. The dictionary defines stress as pressure, tension, and concern strain caused by life situations. Stress relates to the social, physiological, and psychological composition of the human being. It is a key cause of both physical and emotional problems' fragility. Frustration can prohibit a person from reaching his objective. It might be interpreted as defeat or disappointment.

The terms stress and frustration are distinct. The cause of stress is a difficult circumstance (Selyes, 2022). In contrast, frustration is an intervention scenario with an ongoing activity (Welman, 2022).

Teachers in both the commercial and public sectors are frequently affected by anxiety. The behavioral manifestations of stress are insufficient focus and thinking, minor physical ailments such as headache, sleeplessness, and stomach discomfort, and a lack of appropriate concentration and thinking. Norfolk (2022) noted that under stress, individuals become impatient and overreact.

Kyriacou (2022) defines educator stress as the experiencing of negative emotions, such as tension, irritation, worry, rage, and despair, as a result of components of the educator's job.

Teaching may be a demanding profession. The contacts with students and coworkers, as well as the continuous and fragmented demands of teaching, can result in excessive pressures and obstacles that can lead to stress. Some unfavorable physiological, psychological, and behavioral repercussions may occur from persistent work stress (De Robbio & Iwanicki 2022).

Many instructors would concur that teaching is not only laborious, but also stressful. School personnel might experience stress as a result of school reform attempts, insufficient administrative support, bad working conditions, lack of participation in school decision-making, the load of paperwork, and a lack of resources.

In multicultural regions, contact between cultures may be a source of workplace stress; for teachers who are more familiar with cultures, acculturative stress can lead to diminished mental health (e.g., confusion, anxiety, and depression) and feelings of alienation; those who feel marginalized may experience high levels of stress. Teachers with very diverse cultural backgrounds may not comprehend or value the cultural distinctions of the community in which they are placed. Due to their reluctance to seek for assistance, inexperienced instructors may be hesitant to disclose classroom difficulties to others. This might then result in more stress.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Frustration is the obstruction of one's objective. Work conditions and the work environment may contribute to employee frustration. Okoye (2022) noted that irritation happens when an interruption occurs during an ongoing action.

All of these factors, as well as many more, contribute to stress in the classroom and outside of the classroom.

According to Ikpeme (2022), it is believed that a stressed-out teacher cannot carry out his duties effectively and efficiently, that is, effectiveness and efficiency, which are desirable qualities in teachers, will be lost, and when both are absent in teaching, the teacher cannot impart the real information to the students, and the students' academic performance may be low or poor as a result. Therefore, in order to prevent poor academic performance among students, it is necessary to investigate and assess the different reasons of stress among instructors, as excellent teachers produce quality students (Ikpeme 2022). It is intended that the findings of this study would suggest solutions for reducing teachers' stress and frustration in connection to students' academic achievement.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of the study is to assess the effects of teachers' stress and frustration on junior secondary school students' academic performance. Precisely, this study seeks to:

i.          Find out the extent of teachers stress in secondary schools.

ii.        Find out whether teachers stress affects academic performance of junior secondary school students.

iii.      Examine the causes of teachers stress in secondary schools.

iv.      Examine ways teachers stress can be reduced.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

These research questions will be answered in this study:

i.          What is the extent of teachers stress in secondary schools?

ii.        Does teachers stress affects academic performance of junior secondary school students?

iii.      What are the causes of teachers stress in secondary schools?

iv.      What are the ways teachers stress can be reduced?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Teachers are essential to the success of any educational organization, its students, and the overall growth of our community and nation. Stress and frustration, on the other hand, are harmful forces in a teacher's life. Therefore, it is vital to assess the influence of stress on the academic performance of pupils and give remedies to the problem. The study will also aid in reducing stress and boosting work happiness for teachers, leading to a good level of academic success among students.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study is focused on the effects of teachers' stress and frustration on junior secondary school students' academic performance. However, the scope of this study is specifically focused on finding out the extent of teachers stress in secondary schools and finding out whether teachers stress affects academic performance of junior secondary school students.

Additionally, this study is focused on examining the causes of teachers stress in secondary schools and examining ways teachers stress can be reduced.

Teachers of selected junior secondary schools in Owerri, Imo State will serve as the respondents of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

As with any human endeavor, the researcher experienced small impediments while performing the study. Due to the scarcity of literature on the subject as a result of the discourse's nature, the researcher incurred additional financial expenses and spent additional time sourcing for relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as during the data collection process, which is why the researcher chose a small sample size. Additionally, the researcher conducted this inquiry in conjunction with other scholarly pursuits. Additionally, because only a small number of respondents were chosen to complete the research instrument, the results cannot be applied to other secondary schools outside the state. Regardless of the limits faced throughout the investigation, all aspects were reduced to ensure the best outcomes and the most productive research.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Stress: A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.

Frustration: In psychology, frustration is a common emotional response to opposition, related to anger, annoyance and disappointment.

Academic performance: Is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term educational goals.

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