Occupational Stress Relation to Tenure and Educational Level in Primary School Teachers in Greece

Abstract

The teaching profession is constantly becoming even more demanding, with miscellaneous challenges and continuous constitutional changes. Stress in teachers is a reference point of study at a global level, as its rates are in-creasing with a variety of negative side effects. The need to study stress lies in the influence it has, both on the individual level and in the educational process itself. The present study in a sample of 167 teachers of all specialties from public primary schools in Greece, attempts to link educational level and tenure to job stress. Results showed higher stress levels among teachers who have not received a Master’s Degree, while tenure did not play a significant role. It seems that stressors in the working environment hold the most crucial role in predicting stress levels. In practical terms, therefore, the overriding importance of specific interventions in the dominant sectors, which put stress on teachers, is emphasized. The analysis of applications is mentioned further in detail in the discussion section.