Title : Levels, Causes and Coping Strategies of Stress during Teaching

Practice

Name of the Journal : Journal of Law and Psychology

ISSN : 2078-1083

Page Number : 17 – 23

Year Published : September, 2010

To : Dr. Johan Eddy Luaran

Submitted by : Siti Khalijah binti Zainol (2013977165)

1. Overview:

This journal is about levels, causes and coping strategies of stress during teaching

practice. The teaching practice is the most crucial period for student-teachers. During this

time, they are assigned to the respective schools for about 12 weeks to undergo for teaching

practice. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Dictionary, 2006), teaching

practice is the part of a course for people who are training to become a teacher, which

involves teaching classes of the students. Teaching practice is important because it provides

student-teachers with real situation which provides pre-service teachers to experience and

enter the real world of teaching.

Teaching profession is one of the stress professions. In Malaysia, there was a survey

conducted in 2011 by The Department of Community Health, National University of

Malaysia Medical Centre showed that teaching was in the fourth place. Teaching is a stressful

profession because the teachers not only teach, but they need to do another task, such as plan

and prepare the lesson plan and materials, manage the behaviour of the students and mark

books.

The highest degree of stress to student-teachers is because of the lack of classroom

control and management. According to (Marzano, September 2003) classroom management

has the largest impact on the students’ achievement and behaviour. Nevertheless, this

situation is normal for the student-teachers during their teaching practice. Before this they

were only learnt about it from books and reading materials, but during this time, they need to

experience it.

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However, classroom management is not the only causes of stress. Another stresses

related to the evaluation, pedagogical and staff relation factors. According to (Capel, 1997)

students-teachers stress related to the evaluation during the teaching practice is common in

many countries. Because the stress of the evaluation may differ to every student-teacher. It

depends on the student-teachers’ personality and how their reaction towards the evaluation.

Thus, this journal explored on level of stress, their causes and coping strategies

adjusted by the student-teachers during their teaching practice. This finding is important to

help student-teachers to support them with knowledge, improve themselves and prepare them

to become an effective teacher when they become a “real” teacher someday.

2. Description of Methodology:

The approach of this research is quantitative. The design of this research is survey.

The participants of this research are from International Islamic University, Pakistan. The

number of the respondents is 95, which include 15 males and 80 females who studied in

Bachelor of Education and Master of Education. The students had completed 90% of their

courses. Therefore, they were selected to take part in this survey.

The questionnaire was designed to know more about the level of student-teachers

stress, the causes of the stress and how to cope with the stress. The questionnaire wanted to

know what did the student-teachers do to overcome their stress and helped them to improve

during the teaching practicum. Student-teachers have been suggested some of the suggestions

and solutions through open-ended questions. 91 out of 95 students completed the

questionnaire and attended a concluding session.

3. Evaluation :

This questionnaire contained four parts; level of stress, the sources of the stress,

coping strategies and the suggestion to improve practicum.

The first part of the questionnaire was developed by Cohen. It is used to measure the

degree to which situations can be considered as stressful. It is the most widely used

psychological instruments to measure the level of stress.

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The second part of the questionnaire consisted 30 items related to the causes of the

stress during teaching practice.

The third part of the questionnaire focused on the coping strategies that have been

frequently adopted to overcome the stress during teaching practice. There were eight items in

this part.

Last but not least, the fourth part contained an open-ended question that encouraged

student-teachers to give their opinion on how to improve and reduce the stress during

practicum.

The data were analysed by using a percentage calculation of the responses. 9% of the

student-teachers thought that teaching practice was less stress. However, 86% of them

thought that it was moderate stress, meanwhile 5% of them agreed that teaching practice was

giving them high stress.

According to the writer, there were four major causes of stress. The first cause was

heavy work load. As we know, as student-teachers they need to prepare a lot of things such as

interesting lesson plan and teaching aids. Most of them complained that they were required to

burn the midnight oil in order to complete the lesson plans and teaching aids. Therefore, 80%

of them agreed that heavy work load made them stress.

Besides, the second cause that contributed to the stress was being observed and

evaluated by supervisor and teacher. 76% of the respondents found that being observed and

evaluated by their supervisor and teacher made them stress. The respondents felt nervous and

their self-confidence would be shaken during the observation because they were trying to

avoid mistakes.

Thus, the third cause of the stress was the inadequacy in classroom management. 74%

of the respondents reported that they were having major problems to control and manage the

classroom. It happened because they were lack of knowledge and experience in handling the

discipline problems among the students. It required some times to polish their skills.

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Last but not least, 57% of the respondents said that writing detailed lesson plans was

also becoming the cause of the stress to them. Student-teachers need to plan two different

lesson notes for two different subjects every day. They were required to write the lesson in

details and also they must prepare the suitable teaching aids. Sometimes, the lessons that they

planned failed to reach the objectives.

Coping strategies adapted by student-teacher during teaching practice was the third

part in the questionnaire. According to the author, the term coping strategies was best

described as the ways that student-teachers took in order to relieve their stress. 58% of the

respondents stated that communication with a supervisor or teacher and getting guidance or

feedbacks were the best way to relieve the stress. It could be the best way because they need

positive supports and feedbacks from those who can help them to improve themselves to be

better. 54% of the respondents found that they could release their stress by talking to their

friends and family. Teaching practice was the compulsory pre-service component in order to

complete their study. Therefore, getting support from the family and friends are very

important for them because they show their sympathy and lend their ears to listen to the

problems. However, 49% of them agreed that the use of self-management skills such as

preparation, planning and organizational skills could help them to relieve the stress. The

respondents agreed that they need to plan the lesson early and prefer not to do the last minute

work.

The final part of the questionnaire was suggestions from the respondents. According

to the survey, some of the suggestion suggested by the respondents were they need more

guidance before start of the teaching practice, more coordination between university

supervisor and cooperating teacher is required, assigned schools should take student-teachers

as internees and doing the formative assessment instead of final lesson assessment.

4. Discussion of Implication

This study has been done to reflect the teaching practice of the student-teachers from

education programs in Pakistan. This study is important to provide the best foundation for the

future teachers. It is because in this study, the author focused on the level of the stress, the

causes and how to cope with the stress.

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It is important to gather the information from the practical experience because it can

equip the future teachers. According to Percy and Elliot (2004), students view is necessary,

but more importantly, these views need to be acted upon. I agree with their statements. The

finding from the survey can be used to improve the teaching practicum. It is useful for the

universities, teaching colleges, schools and also the ministry in order to improve the program

and make the changes if necessary.

It cannot be denied that teaching practicum can cause stress to the student-teachers.

However, it is normal because everyone will stress out at the beginning of their teaching

practicum because they have a lack of experience. The best way to overcome and reduce the

level of the stress are prepare the lesson and teaching aids earlier and do not be too ambitious.

The student-teachers also need to work hand in hand with their supervisors and the

cooperating teachers who will guide them in the school. They are advised to talk and share

about their problems and seek for the guidance, especially on how to control and manage the

classroom. By doing this, they will have some ideas on how to handle the inadequacy

classroom and tackle the behaviour problems among the students.

Moreover, the student-teachers also can reduce the level of their stress by keeping the

journal during the teaching practice. It will help them to reflect on their teaching and try to

find the solution to improve.

Nowadays, teaching profession is very tough and challenging. The teachers must be

ready to be versatile and able to cope with the stress. With this survey, the author hopes that

the university supervisor and the cooperating teachers will work as a harmonious team to help

the student-teachers to prepare themselves before entering the real teaching life. The less

stress student-teachers, will increase their performance and the better they will be.

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