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This study explored the prevalence of teaching occupation stress and management strategies among public secondary schools teachers in Tanzania: Experience from Ifakara Town Council.The study was underpinned by the Stress and Coping Theory. This study employed a concurrent mixed research methods approach and descriptive study research design. Six school heads and fifty-four heads of subjects departments were sampled by the means of purposive sampling strategies while one hundred and sixty teachers were sampled through convenience sampling strategies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and close ended questionnaires. In the first theme, the study found common signs of stress, such as low concentration in teaching among young teachers, few teachers overreacting at the workplace, teachers’ unhappiness with their profession, and teachers’ isolation. Teachers’ worries about their duties were not among the common signs of stress. In the second theme, the study found that the majority of teachers had teaching professional stress caused by students breaking up school laws and regulations, shortage of classrooms, absence of housing and teaching allowances. Other causes of stress were big teaching workload, and poor cooperation between teachers and students’ parents in the aspect of nurturing students. In the third theme, it was found that school heads managed teachers’ stress through guidance and counseling services, regular provision of teachers’ professional development training, and application of communication skills strategies. School heads also assisted teachers in sharing stress issues with their co-workers. Moreover, school heads advised their fellow teachers to take active participation in sports and games as a means of treating work stress. School heads did not educate teachers on timekeeping, and teachers’ decision-making as other techniques of mitigating teachers’ stress in the study area. In line with the results of this study, the current researcher recommends that special programmes should be developed for mitigating teaching stress. In addition, strong measures should be taken against indiscipline students. Also, enough classrooms and teachers’ houses should be constructed. Lastly, teachers should be effectively involved in decisions making. On the other hand, this study recommends another study to be conducted regarding factors for low teaching and learning concentration among young teachers in secondary schools in Tanzania. Also, a study to be conducted on the influence of school heads’ time management skills on managing work stress among secondary school teachers in Tanzania. |
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