A Descriptive Study to Assess the Perceived Stress and Its Contributing Factors Among the Teaching Professionals of Higher Educational Institutions at Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
Giriyapura Rudrappa Gireesh, Melvin Jacob, Gopika G. Krishnan, Fathimathu Rayyan, Keerthana Ranjith, Fernando JosephAbstract
Background:
Stress is a dynamic interaction between individuals and their environment, leading to cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes. Teaching is considered a highly stressful profession due to multiple responsibilities, such as lesson planning, classroom management, academic supervision, and extracurricular duties. Prolonged occupational stress may result in burnout, affecting teachers’ well-being and professional performance.
Materials and Methods:
A descriptive research design was adopted for this study. A total of 145 teaching faculty members were selected using a non-probability purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using the Perceived Stress Scale (10 items) and a checklist assessing contributing factors (6 items). Content validity was established by five experts, and reliability was ensured through the test–retest method.
Results:
The results showed that most participants experienced moderate levels of perceived stress, whereas a smaller proportion reported low or high stress levels. Key contributing factors included workload and time pressure, student-related issues, interpersonal relationships, institutional support, and personal and emotional well-being. No significant association was found between perceived stress, contributing factors, and selected demographic variables. However, a significant relationship was observed between perceived stress and its contributing factors.
Conclusion:
This study highlights the need for stress management strategies and supportive institutional measures to improve the well-being of the teaching faculty.