Teacher Stress in Rural Schools: A Phenomenological Study on Stress and Its Effect on Teacher-perceived Physical and Mental Well-being

Abstract

This dissertation is an empirical phenomenological model that uses teachers’ experiences to obtain comprehensive descriptions to create themes. These themes provide the basis for a reflective analysis to depict a portrait of elementary teachers’ experiences dealing with stressors and their perceived effect on mental and physical health. A majority of the research on teacher stress focuses on urban schools; few studies have reported the causes of stress among those instructing in rural areas. This phenomenological study investigates the definition of rural, the history of rural schools, importance of teachers, teacher satisfaction, stress in teachers, burnout, the causes of burnout, etiology of teacher stress, and the implications of teacher burnout. Themes from semi structured interviews, observations, and focus groups revealed that teachers' perception of multiple roles and lack of self-efficacy were major causes of stress in teaching at rural schools. Dialogue with elementary teachers revealed that stress could lead to cynicism, detachment, and depression, triggering burnout that has a detrimental effect on physical and emotional health. The detrimental effects of stress not only affect the teachers’ mental and physical health but have interpersonal implications relating to student relations and achievement, caregiver relationships, and peer interactions.