THE IMPACT OF TEACHERS' STRESS AND FRUSTRATION ON STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The English word "stress" originates from the Latin word "stringere," which may be translated as "to afflict" or "to squeeze." The words "pressure," "tension," and "worry strain" are all taken from the dictionary's definition of "stress," which is the mental and emotional strain brought by by The social, physiological, and psychological components of a person are all relevant when discussing the effects of stress. It is a significant contributor to the vulnerability of both physical and mental disorders. Frustration might prevent a person from achieving the goals he has set for himself. It is possible to see that as a sign of loss or disappointment.

There is a difference between the phrases stress and frustration. A trying situation is the root source of stress in the body (Selyes, 2022). Frustration, on the other hand, is an example of an intervention scenario that involves a continuing action (Welman, 2022).

Anxiety is a common condition that is experienced by educators working in both the private and public sectors. The behavioral symptoms of stress include a lack of proper attention and thinking, minor physical problems such as headaches, inability to sleep, and stomach pain, and a lack of adequate focus and thinking. It was observed by Norfolk (2022) that when people are under stress, they get irritable and overreact.

According to Kyriacou (2022), the definition of educator stress is the experience of negative emotions, such as tension, irritation, worry, rage, and despair, as a result of components of the educator's job. These emotions can be caused by a number of factors, including the responsibility of the educator's position.

There is a possibility that teaching is a tough career. Excessive pressures and impediments, which can lead to stress, might be the consequence of encounters with students and coworkers, as well as the continual and fragmented demands of teaching. Because chronic job stress can have negative effects on one's body, mind, and behavior, it's important to take steps to reduce and manage it (De Robbio & Iwanicki 2022).

There are a lot of teachers out there who would agree that being a teacher is not just tiring but also stressful. It is possible for school staff to feel stress as a consequence of efforts to reform schools, inadequate administrative support, poor working conditions, a lack of participation in the decision-making process of schools, an excessive amount of paperwork, and a dearth of resources.

Accumulative stress can lead to diminished mental health (such as confusion, anxiety, and depression) and feelings of alienation in teachers who are more familiar with cultures. Those who feel marginalized may experience high levels of stress. In multicultural regions, contact between cultures may be a source of workplace stress; in multicultural regions, contact between cultures may be a source of workplace stress. It's possible that educators who come from extremely different cultural backgrounds won't fully understand or appreciate the cultural nuances of the communities in which they are placed. Inexperienced teachers may be reluctant to communicate challenges in the classroom to other people because they may not want to ask for aid to solve the problems alone. The subsequent effect of this might be increased stress.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The impediment of a person's goals is the source of their frustration. Frustration among workers may be exacerbated by both the realities of their jobs and the atmosphere of their workplaces. According to Okoye (2022), frustration arises whenever there is a break in the flow of anything that is already being done.

The presence of all of these elements, in addition to a great number of others, contributes to stress both within and outside of the classroom.

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, which may result in the students' academic performance being low or poor. According to Ikpeme (2022), it is believed that a stressed-out teacher is unable to carry out his duties effectively and efficiently. This means that effectiveness and efficiency, which are desirable qualities in teachers, will be lost. As a result, in order to avoid kids from having bad academic performance, it is vital to examine and evaluate the many causes of stress among teachers, given that good teachers are the primary factor in the development of good pupils (Ikpeme 2022). It is hoped that the outcomes of this research will offer suggestions for ways to alleviate the stress and frustration felt by educators in relation to the academic performance of their students.

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 and frustration in secondary schools.

ii.        Examine the factors that are responsible for teachers stress and frustration in secondary schools.

iii.      Find out the different methods of reducing teachers stress and frustration.

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.        What are the factors that are responsible for teachers stress and frustration in secondary schools?

iii.      What are the different methods of reducing teachers stress and frustration?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The success of any educational institution, its students, and the general development of our society and nation depends heavily on the contributions made by its teaching staff. On the other side, a teacher's life might be negatively impacted by factors such as stress and dissatisfaction. As a result, it is of the utmost importance to evaluate the impact that stress has on the academic performance of students and to provide solutions to the issue. The results of the study will also contribute to a decrease in teachers' levels of stress and an increase in their levels of satisfaction in their jobs, both of which will result in improved academic performance among students.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study is focused on the the impact of teachers' stress and frustration on 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 the factors that are responsible for teachers stress and frustration in secondary schools.

Additionally, this study is focused on examining the different methods of reducing teachers stress and frustration.

Teachers of selected junior secondary schools in Nsukka, Enugu 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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