i

Stress Among Urban and Suburban Elementary School Educators: Is There a Difference?

by

Allison Jo Erickson

M.A., Concordia University, 2014

Applied Research Project Paper

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Master in Public Health

Concordia University, Nebraska

December 2014

ii

Abstract

Burnout and fatigue among elementary educators is known to impact educator

performance, health, and job satisfaction, as well as student achievement. With

continued pressures from district administration, state, and national standards, educators

are finding few opportunities for self-care and stress management before, during, and

after a workday. In the educational environment, conflict between expectations and

advice, parental pressures, and unclear perceptions of teaching status lead to an increased

level of chronic stress in the elementary educator. Many studies have limitations when

comparing educator stress levels and symptoms between urban and suburban schools.

This study compares urban and suburban elementary educators and the differences in

causes of stress and stress symptoms. Method: Using survey questionnaires, educators

from different elementary schools from the Midwestern part of the United States will

contribute to data collection evaluating educator burnout, fatigue, and symptoms of

chronic stress. Using mean, standard deviation, and t-test statistical analysis, this study

will determine significant difference in educator stress. Identifying differences and

similarities among both groups of educators will lead to improvements in advocating and

placing importance on educator self-care and stress management within the school.

Results: Urban elementary educators appear to have significantly higher levels of stress

when compared to suburban elementary educators regarding specific causes of stress.

Both groups of elementary educators showed no statistical difference in responses to

stress.

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Table of Contents

List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vi

List of Figures .................................................................................................................. vii

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Applied Research Project .............................................1

Background of Applied Research Project ......................................................................1

Stress Defined ......................................................................................................... 1

Impact of Stress on the Body .................................................................................. 2

Stress in the American Educator ............................................................................. 2

Educator Stress: Urban and Suburban Schools ....................................................... 3

Thesis Statement ............................................................................................................4

Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................5

Research Questions and Hypothesis ..............................................................................5

Research Question .................................................................................................. 5

Hypothesis............................................................................................................... 5

Theoretical Base.............................................................................................................6

Definition of Terms........................................................................................................6

Assumptions ...................................................................................................................6

Limitations .....................................................................................................................7

Delimitations ..................................................................................................................7

Significance of the Study ...............................................................................................7

Summary and Transition ................................................................................................8

Chapter 2: Literature Review ...........................................................................................9

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Introduction ....................................................................................................................9

Literature Search ................................................................................................... 10

Body of Review ...........................................................................................................11

Educator Stress across Disciplines........................................................................ 11

Stress in Urban and Suburban School Settings ..................................................... 17

Improving Stress in the American Educator ......................................................... 22

Summary ......................................................................................................................27

Chapter 3: Research Method ..........................................................................................29

Introduction ..................................................................................................................29

Research Design and Approach ...................................................................................29

Setting 30

Participants ...................................................................................................................30

Measurement Instrument .............................................................................................31

Procedure .....................................................................................................................31

Data Analysis ...............................................................................................................32

Summary ......................................................................................................................32

Protection of Human Participants ................................................................................33

Chapter 4: Results............................................................................................................34

Introduction ..................................................................................................................34

Research Findings ........................................................................................................35

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................40

Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations ......................................42

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Introduction ..................................................................................................................42

Discussion ....................................................................................................................42

Time-Management and Work-Related Stressors .................................................. 42

Statements Regarding Feelings of Being Overwhelmed and Frustrated .............. 43

Professional Investment ........................................................................................ 44

Responses to Stress ............................................................................................... 44

Limitations ...................................................................................................................45

Recommendations for Future Research .......................................................................46

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................47

References .........................................................................................................................49

Appendix A: Teacher Stress Inventory..........................................................................52

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List of Tables

Table 1. Select Responses Regarding Time-Management and Work-Related Stressors..36

Table 2. Select Responses to Statements Beginning with “I feel overwhelmed and/or

frustrated…”…………………………………………………………………….37

Table 3. Select Responses to Statements Regarding Professional Investment…………38

Table 4. Select Responses to Statements Beginning with “I respond to stress…” …….39

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List of Figures

Figure 1. Mean Difference Amongst Urban and Suburban Elementary Educators for

Table 1…………………………….......................................................................36

Figure 2. Mean Difference Amongst Urban and Suburban Elementary Educators for

Table 2……………………………………………………………………….......38

Figure 3. Mean Difference Amongst Urban and Suburban Elementary Educators for

Table 3…………………………………………………………………………...39

Figure 4: Mean Difference Amongst Urban and Suburban Elementary Educators for

Table 4…………………………………………………………………………...40

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Chapter 1: Introduction to the Applied Research Project

Background of Applied Research Project

Stress Defined

Over the past five years, United States citizens have reported a 44 percent

increase in stress level (American Psychological Association (APA), 2014a). The APA’s

2013 Stress in America Survey, indicates the list of common stressors include finances,

employment or career, and the nation’s economy. Stress, however, is a difficult term for

scientists and medical professionals to clearly define. According to the American

Institute of Stress (AIS, n.d.), the difficulty in understanding stress lies within its

ambiguous nature of measurement. However, in 1936 Hans Selye defined stress as, “the

non-specific response of the body to any demand for change,” which has been adopted by

some throughout the world as the appropriate definition of stress (AIS, n.d.). Selye

exposed laboratory animals to different stimuli such as loud noises, extreme temperature

changes, and perpetual frustrations prior to defining the term stress. In these studies,

Selye observed similar pathological responses to the interventions like the shrinking of

lymphoid tissue and enlarged adrenal glands (AIS, n.d.). In fact, “[Selye] later

demonstrated that persistent stress could cause these animals to develop various diseases

similar to those seen in humans, such as heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease and

rheumatoid arthritis” (AIS, n.d.). After Selye completed the research, the term stress

became a buzzword for individuals to use to describe any situation that caused distress or

unpleasant situations. In later years, Selye redefined stress stating that stress was, “The

rate of wear and tear on the body” (AIS, n.d.). Years later, after acknowledging the

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difficulty in defining the term “stress,” Selye stated, “Everyone knows what stress is, but

nobody really knows” (AIS, n.d.). For purposes of the paper, the term stress will use the

definition provided by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, n.d.) stating,

“Stress can be defined as the brain’s response to any demand.”

Impact of Stress on the Body

Stress is not always a negative response in one’s body. In fact, a stress response

in the animal kingdom can often be lifesaving. This is known as a flight or fight response

(NIMH, n.d.). However, when stress becomes chronic, “nerve chemicals that are life-

saving in short bursts can suppress functions that aren’t needed for immediate survival”

(NIH, n.d.). Thus, one’s immunity becomes lowered, excretory and reproductive systems

begin working poorly, and digestive system functionality is impaired. According to the

NIH (n.d.) people with chronic stress often experience higher rates of infection,

depressed mood, irritability, sleep deprivation, and common cold and flu. Chronic stress

occurs when everyday stressors are ignored or poorly managed (APA, 2014b). In other

words, chronic stress is experiencing ongoing stressors that do not go away in a small

amount of time. When chronic stress is left untreated over a longer period of time,

individuals are more likely to face heart disease, anxiety, diabetes, hypertension, and

other chronic or life-threatening illnesses.

Stress in the American Educator

Education has been widely recognized as a stressful occupation. Dissatisfaction

with pay and benefits, poor working conditions, lack of support from administration, and

standardization of test-scores are some of the sources of stress experienced by the

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American educator (Lambert, McCarthy, O’Donnell, & Wang, 2009). The National

Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2010), indicates that during the 2007 to 2008

school year, of the 3.3 million educators, 7.6 percent of all educators in America moved

schools, while 8.0 percent left the profession all together. “Among public school teachers

with 1–3 years of experience, 77.3 percent stayed in their base-year school, 13.7 percent

moved to another school, and 9.1 percent left teaching in 2008–09” (NCES, 2010).

Chronic stress and burnout are often noted as one of the main reasons for an educator to

find a new school or new profession. Rudge (2012) states, “Many teachers become so

overwhelmed by the emotional challenges that they decide to leave the profession

altogether. Emotional stress and poor emotion management are ranked as the primary

reasons teachers become discouraged and leave the teaching profession” (p. 17).

Educator stress, as aforementioned, can often come from student needs and the drive for

student achievement. Along with student needs, parental pressure is also a source of

stress.

Educator Stress: Urban and Suburban Schools

When defining an urban school, one may refer to the location of an urban school

as located in a large centralized city (Jacob, 2007). Suburban schools, therefore, can be

defined as schools located outside the centralized city limits. Urban schools often see a

higher rate of students from low-income and single-parent households than schools in

suburban areas (University of Michigan, n.d.). Students who come from single parent

homes often see little parental educational interaction due to working to support a family,

which then requires greater attention from the educator. Authors from the University of

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Michigan (n.d.) argue that educators working in inner city, urban school settings, often

seek employment in a suburb school district where, “there are better working conditions,

better pay, as well as better resources.” Urban school districts often serve a much larger

population of students than the suburban school districts. This population size impacts

the educator to student ratio in the classroom, as well as increasing educator demands

(Jacob, 2007). Moving forward, “Recent studies of teachers in New York State found

that first-year teachers in suburban and more advantaged urban schools were more highly

qualified than those in urban schools more generally” (Jacob, 2007, p. 136). With such

information, one observes that education experience not only impacts placement of

career, but also ability to manage stress within an urban school setting. Unfortunately,

differences in educator placement can impact the educational experience and success for

both the student and the educator. Research supports the differences and encourages

future observation and exploration of differences in educator demands and resources in

the urban and suburban elementary school setting.

Thesis Statement

This thesis proposes that there are differences in educator chronic stress and stress

symptoms among elementary educators by comparing educators in both urban and

suburban school settings. These differences are based on the severity of demands and

restrictions of resources that occur in the different school settings, fostering the need for

improvement in educator stress management resources. A survey will be used to evaluate

differences and similarities between the school educators.

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Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to examine and evaluate differences and similarities

in educator chronic stress and stress symptoms in an urban and a suburban school setting

amongst educators from the Midwestern part of the United States. Across the country,

educators are known to have high stress jobs. Educators often experience higher stress

due to time constraints, heavy emphasis on student achievement, and lack of consistent

administrative support (Rudge, 2012). However, stress in the urban school setting is

often heightened due to higher rates of needy students, emotionally and socially. By

determining the differences in educator demands and resources among two schools, the

researcher hopes to improve awareness of additional health resources needed or

determine a stress management system that is working to lower stress in one or both of

the schools. This study will not cover specific, individualized stressors through

individual statements and qualitative data collection.

Research Questions and Hypothesis

Research Question

Is there significant difference in educator demands and resources between urban

and suburban elementary school educators?

Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis: There is not a significant difference in educator demands and

resources when comparing urban and suburban elementary school educators.

Hypothesis: There is a significant difference in educator demands and resources

when comparing urban and suburban elementary school educators

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Theoretical Base

This study is based on quantitative analysis of survey responses associated with

educator demands and resources.

Definition of Terms

Chronic Stress: Defined by the University of Maryland Medical Center (2014) as

a frequent, ongoing exposure to stressful situations.

Stress: The brain’s response to any demand (NIMH, n.d.).

Symptom: “A change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is

present” (Merriam-Webster, 2014).

Suburban School: A school located outside a large centralized city’s limits (Jacob,

2007).

Urban School: A school located in a large, centralized city (Jacob, 2007).

Assumptions

The assumptions made in this thesis include: (a) the literature available and

reviewed is scientifically sound and represents what is being studied; (b) the participants

selected for surveying accurately represent the population of interest; (c) comparisons can

be made with past research studies; and (d) the results of this study can be applied to

other urban and suburban school populations.

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Limitations

Limitations of this study include: (a) low response rate of survey participants; (b)

surveys with only partial completion; and (c) inability to gather data from a larger

network of educators.

Delimitations

Delimitations of this study include: (a) small sample size; (b) time allotted for

survey completion and data collection; (c) seeking to determine any difference in

demands and resources quantitatively; and (d) omitting school administration from

survey response.

Significance of the Study

This study will serve as an addition to the current literature by specifically

focusing on chronic stress and symptoms in elementary educators among urban and

suburban schools. Through awareness building, educators will have an opportunity to

take action and improve lifestyles and stress management techniques in order to reduce

the risk of experience long-term, chronic health concerns in the future. Additionally, this

study will assist school district administration in identifying specific sources of stress

among the school educators and be able to take appropriate action to alleviate or reduce

the specific stressors. This will aid in education retention, job satisfaction, and student

achievement.

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Summary and Transition

Stress in America is on the rise. Sources of stress include careers, finances, and

the nation’s economy. Throughout the animal kingdom, humans included, stress can

either be acute or chronic. Acute stress is often the body’s response to danger, leading to

taking action or fleeing. Chronic stress, however, has greater consequences. Such stress

can lead to depressed mood, irritability, sleep deprivation, as well as more serious health

concerns like heart disease, hypertension, and anxiety (NIH, n.d.). Many occupations are

known to cause extreme stress and burnout, however, education is one that is often

studied and recognized. Pressures from parents, standardization of test scores, long work

hours, and difficult support from administration are all sources of stress for educators in

America. Of such stress, urban educators are often times more likely to experience

higher levels of stress simply due to the location of the school. By comparing suburban

and urban educator stress levels, district administration and educators alike can begin to

make specific changes in sources of stress and resources offered for the management of

stress. In the following sections, the study will examine literature that examines these

differences, as well as discuss the current study’s method and results. The last sections

will provide a discussion of the research findings and recommendations for future

research.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction

Stress and stress management continue to receive attention in many career and

personal arenas. Common sources of stress according to the APA (2014a) include

finances, career, and the nation’s economy. Although a difficult term to define, most, if

not all, individuals experience stress in one way or another. When stress becomes

constant, or continual, it is known as chronic stress. Chronic stress impacts different

systems and functioning in the human body, first by targeting systems not needed for

immediate survival such as the reproductive system. As chronic stress continues in one’s

life, infection risk increases, sleep deprivation is common, and risk of contracting the

common cold or flu increases. Once chronic stress is not treated, individuals encounter

higher rates of hypertension, anxiety, diabetes, and other chronic or life-threatening

illnesses.

Among the professions known to include high stress levels is education. Little

administrative support, standardization of test scores, pressures from parents or

guardians, and dissatisfaction with pay and workload balance are all sources that, if not

managed well, can lead to chronic stress in the American educator. Rates of teacher

retention year to year mark concerns for the future of the American educational system.

As the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2010), indicates that during the

2007 to 2008 school year, of the 3.3 million educators, 7.6 percent of all educators in

America moved schools, while 8.0 percent left the profession all together. Burnout and

emotional exhaustion are known to be in the top reasons for teachers leaving the

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profession all together. This thesis, therefore, explores the causes and levels of stress

among elementary school educators. Differences in stress levels may be apparent within

one school; however, this study aims to determine the difference in chronic stress levels

and symptoms between urban and suburban elementary educators. Although the

profession is similar in both school settings, the population of students, needs, and

outcomes, may result in differing levels of stress, as well as differences in stress

symptoms.

The literature review reviews three areas related to elementary educator stress.

The first section will address research related to educator stress across disciplines. The

second section will focus on research related to stress in urban and suburban school

educators. Finally, the third section will address ways of lowering and improving chronic

stress in the educator.

Literature Search

The literature search was performed through Concordia University Library Search

Engines such as Academic Search Premier, ERIC, and Teacher Reference Center. An

additional source of searching was through Google search engines to examine literature

not found through Concordia University Library. The author limited article dates to

include any date later than 1980. There was variety in search terms used, however, the

most common included “elementary educator”, “stress”, “burnout”, “urban school”, and

“suburban school”.

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Body of Review

Educator Stress across Disciplines

Evaluating and understanding educator stress first must come from listening to

the elementary educator’s perspective. The significance of educator stress not only

impacts the educator, but the students, the school, and the district. Without focusing and

taking time to understand how educators perceive burnout, stress, and exhaustion, little

can be accomplished in fixing the problem for current and future educators. In the 1980s,

considerable research was completed to fill a systematic gap in researching stress among

elementary educators (Raschke, Dedrik, Strathe, & Hawkes, 1985). Raschke et al. (1985)

sought to identify and investigate specific factors that elementary educators deemed to be

responsible for job satisfaction and dissatisfaction, as well as draw from educator

suggestions for improving the school environment. Using 300 Kindergarten through

sixth grade public school teachers from various districts in the central Midwest section of

the United States, a survey was confidentially mailed concerning job stress, job

satisfaction, and state of teaching. Of the 300 educators identified, 230 responded with

useable data. The majority of respondents were female, age 35, with about 12 years of

experience in education. Only 22 respondents were male with an average age of 35 and

12 years teaching experience. “Although the teachers participating in the study were

employed in in the central Midwest, the respondent profile parallels the national data…”

(Raschke et al., 1985, p. 560).

As aforementioned, Raschke et al. (1985) utilized survey questionnaires

consisting of five parts. The five parts had questions that utilized a Likert-scale for job

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satisfaction and dissatisfaction, stress levels, and state of teaching. The final part of the

survey was left open for qualitative data collection asking questions such as, “’List three

things about your job that you don’t like’” (Raschke et al., 1985, p. 560). Raschke et al.

(1985) did not include time frame for educator response and data collection. Using both

quantitative and qualitative data analysis, results showed that educators provided

strongest support for the statement, “’public respect for education has declined during the

past 15 years’” (Raschke et al., 1985, p. 561). With “1” on the Likert-scale meaning

“strongly agree,” this statement received a mean of 2.06 with a standard deviation of

1.01. Continuing, perceived lack of time showed to be ranked the top reason for job

dissatisfaction. On the same scale, educators marked disruptive students as a major cause

of job stress. When answering the open-ended question about three aspects of teaching

that was not liked, 70 percent responded that excessive paperwork and duties not related

to teaching were two major concerns. Finally, the relationship between the educator and

administration was another relayed concern. “Teachers complain that administrators fail

to support them in matters of student discipline and that they are often by-passed when it

comes to major decisions in their area of expertise—the instructional program” (Raschke

et al., 1985, p. 562-563). Raschke et al. (1985) concluded that professional organizations,

school districts, and teacher centers must continue efforts in identifying and improving

causes and symptoms of stress among educators. Improving teacher-administrator

relationships, reducing time expended on unnecessary work, and offering in-service

workshops for stress management are all suggested places to start. This study shares the

importance of continuing to not only identify, but also treat, sources of stress among

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elementary educators. The results also indicate that educator stress can primarily come

from lack of time and student needs, in which the current study will address. Although

there we no limitations identified by Raschke et al. (1985), the author identifies that the

survey focused solely on stress in the classroom, without clearly identifying other aspects

contributing to a stressful classroom environment both in and out of the school setting.

Friesen and Williams (1985), too, agree that educator stress must be studied and

examined to improve the educator’s teaching experience, student learning, and

organizational success. The purpose of the study was to investigate work-related stress of

school educators to determine if organizational variables contribute to the perceptions

educators have of overall stress in the work environment. An entire teaching workforce

of 1448 urban school educators was surveyed in June of 1980 using a previously

developed questionnaire aiming to address stress experienced in other organizational

careers. The questionnaire was pilot tested among 559 educators whom offered

improvement or corrections to fit the questions appropriately to the population under

study. Of the 1448 questionnaires sent, 759 were used due to attrition and incomplete

questionnaires. Female educators represented 59 percent, while male educators made up

41 percent of the population. About two-thirds of the population was under age 40. Over

half of the respondents were elementary educators, while 27 percent taught junior high,

and 22 percent senior high (Friesen & Williams, 1985).

The questionnaire posed two questions: (1) “’How often does this situation occur

in your work?’” and (2) “’How stressful is the situation for you in your work?’” (Friesen

& Williams, 1985, p. 16). Educators used a 5-point scale ranging from “Never” to

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“Almost Constantly”. Overall work-related stress was assessed by asking, “’On average,

how stressful do you find your work?’” (Friesen & Williams, 1985, p. 16). Again, a 5-

point scale was used from “No Stress” to “Very Much Stress”. A factor analysis was

used to reveal the nature of major sources of the perceived organizational stress, while a

regression analysis was used to analyze overall stress as a dependent variable with

sources of stress as the independent variable. An F-ratio was used for determining if the

entering predictor accounted for significant increases in variance of overall stress.

Results indicate that the majority of educators identified the statements in the

questionnaire as dealing with work overload. For example, diagnosing student needs was

seen to impact educator workload more than controlling the work environment. Other

sources of stress identified were communication, supervision, and relationship with

colleagues. An example includes educator response to the statement, “Not knowing what

is expected of me” (Friesen & Williams, 1985, p. 23), as primarily due to administrative

relationship and communication. Friesen and Williams (1985) identified that the

conclusions are taken only from one study and that much more research is needed to

examine consistencies and inconsistencies among research. Nonetheless, the conclusions

drawn from the study show that there are identifiable sources of stress in the educator’s

work environment. Further research is needed, however, to continue investigating these

sources of stress. Discovering similarities and differences in environmental educator

stress for the current study will allow for reflection on changes or absence of change over

the past 20 years in the education field. Friesen and Williams (1985) acknowledge that

the most prominent limitation of the study is that the questionnaire solely focused on job-

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related stress without taking into consideration other sources that could impact perception

of environment inducing stress.

Measuring relationships between teacher stress and numerous constructs like

coping, burnout, personal support, and environmental structure is beneficial when

determining effective solutions for dealing with educator stress. Montgomery and Rupp

(2005) conducted a meta-analysis of 65 independently written or published studies that

focused on educator stress between 1998 and 2003. The purpose of the study was to

determine if the relationship between coping mechanisms and stress, along with coping

mechanisms, emotional responses, and burnout is stronger than background influences

have on coping with stress. Montgomery and Rupp (2005) used the Theoretical-

Empirical Model of construct relationships of teacher stress to support the purpose and

hypothesis of the study. Articles were retrieved from multiple search engines like ERIC

and Psychinfo, as well as through search engines like Google and Yahoo. Research

articles gathered spanned across multiple countries of study, studying both primary and

secondary schools, or a combination of both. Mean sample sizes across studies were

265.8 participants. Across studies analyzed, the majority of participants were female and

the mean age of the participants was 42.1 years old.

The studies were coded according to characteristics of the samples, experimental

design structure, populations sampled, and methodologies utilized. Data from each study

was filed using Spearman correlation coefficients, Pearson point-biserial correlation

coefficients, and independent-sample t-test (Montgomery & Rupp, 2005). From the

analysis, results showed that the majority of emotional responses were negatively

16

oriented (i.e. anxiety or depression). This implied that external stressors and responses

lead to negative experiences for educators across studies. Montgomery and Rupp (2005)

observed a high average correlation between burnout and emotional response variables,

“suggesting that the way teachers emotionally respond to a variety of stressful situations

is closely tied to the relatively stable personality traits that medicate their responses…”

(p. 479). Conclusions explore that there is need for considering the relationship between

stress and negative emotional response in education. When negative emotional responses

become a normal, everyday response, both the educator and students suffer. Limitation

in the meta-analysis as identified by Montgomery and Rupp (2005) include the

importance of investigating inter-rater reliability of the classifications as the study was

based only on the expertise of two researchers. Implications for the current study show

that an educator’s response to stress can lead to burnout and exhaustion. Identifying

these reactions and evaluating the impact on personal and professional stress is an

important aspect to successful data collection and hypothesis testing.

Section Summary

The research literature explores the sources and reactions to stress experienced by

educators across specialties. Understanding the causes of stress is most helpful when

receiving information directly from the educator. The three articles reviewed determined

the main causes of stress by examining the teaching environment, job satisfaction, and

reactions to stressors that can cause chronic burnout among educators. Of the most

prominent sources of stress, high student needs, time spent on non-school related work,

and administrative support ranked the highest. There were limitations to the studies that

17

impact the generalizability to other settings and populations. One prominent limitation is

that questionnaires used primarily focus on school-related stress, without taking into

consideration stressors outside the school setting that could impact perceptions and

coping with school-related stress.

Stress in Urban and Suburban School Settings

Differences in urban and suburban school settings not only impacts learning by

students, but also educator stress levels. Dworkin, Haney, and Telschow (1988) explain

that urban school teachers have heightened stressors simply due to the fact that urban

schools may interact with more than 1000 students daily. Additionally, urban schools

will often be impacted by the community in which the school is located. Dworkin et al.

(1988) also explain that fear of violence and victimization reaches an urban school in

greater ways than other areas. Educators are often bearing the brunt of violence in the

schools within the classroom, impacting motivation and ability to perform the job

successfully. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between the fear

of violence and victimization and educator stress in urban schools.

A total of 794 active members of the Houston, Texas school union were sent

questionnaires, with a response rate of 291. Although the sample size is stated to not

represent the whole district, the sample does represent the union sampled. Educators

could choose from, “no stress, a low level of stress, a moderate level of stress, or a high

level of stress,” (Dworkin et al., 1988, p. 163) when asked to evaluate the level of stress

with a given statement or scenario. An example of statements on the questionnaire

include, “discipline in class” or “interacting with administration” (Dworkin et al., 1988,

18

p. 163). In addition to the aforementioned questions, Dworkin et al. (1988) also

examined problems faced by teachers specifically related to violence. Of the questions

asked, the respondent could either answer “never” to “all the time.” Sample questions

include: (A) “Money has been stolen from me at school” (B) “Students have threatened

me in subtle ways” and (C) “I have been assaulted by students and needed a doctor’s

care” (Dworkin et al., 1988, p. 164). Results showed relatedness between victimization

and stress. The race of the educator impacted the relationship between stress level and

victimization. For example, white educators who reported having money stolen at least

once were higher than black educators. The same was true for being the target of

obscene gestures, being sworn at, or receiving physical threats. Of these results, Dworkin

et al. (1988) suggest that victimized educators experience higher levels of stress, white

educators reported higher levels of stress when compared to black or Hispanic educators,

and elementary educators report higher levels of this source of stress than secondary

schools. A limitation within this study is the sample size and sampled population. To

expand the study further, a recommendation would be to survey educators from other

urban settings in major cities. Therefore, this research aims to provide evidence for the

current study in examining the sources of difference in stress levels when comparing

urban and suburban elementary schools.

A 1999 report by the U.S. Department of Education shares that the condition of

the physical environment surrounding a school are vital to academic success in high-

poverty areas (Foote, 2005). Within the same report, there is indication that resources

provided to a school are often lacking in low-income, urban school districts. “Urban

19

teachers describe their classrooms as overcrowded and bemoan the increasing standards

students are expected meet with declining material resource” (Foote, 2005, p. 372).

Additionally, low-income, urban schools are more likely to employ new or novice

teachers, rather than veteran teachers. This, unfortunately, often sets the urban school up

for high attrition rates. Foote (2005) evaluates the findings from numerous articles and

studies to determine the challenges that urban school educators often face. When

comparing to suburban school educators, urban teachers are more likely to be less

familiar with technological advancements, as well as lack a master’s degree. Another

noted area of stress is the perceived lack of parental involvement often experienced in the

urban setting. However, Foote (2005) noted, “These teachers, however, have little

understanding of the efforts by parents at home to help their children” (p. 373). Foote

(2005) indicated that as the number of minority students increases in the classroom, the

number of face-to-face interactions with a parent or guardian decreases.

Foote (2005) recommended that the characteristics of urban schools are

continuing trying to improve. In order to accomplish these improvements, Foote (2005)

suggested creative thinking in developing class schedules, potentially breaking from the

traditional classroom style. By doing so, there is the possibility of lessening teacher

demand and spreading the demand across multiple educators. Additional suggestions

encourage community partnerships with local businesses and organizations within the

community. By bringing in more assistance and support, the urban educator is likely to

continue his or her career at the urban school, as well as improve stress and burnout

(Foote, 2005). Application to the current study is acknowledging the unique challenges

20

that urban schools often face. By questioning the educators on the impact of the

community on perceived stress within the school, will allow for the author to examine

external factors that influence the educational system, especially educators.

Evaluating the sources of stress and burnout among suburban educators is an

important aspect to determine differences when comparing to urban educators. Farber

(1984) aimed to investigate satisfactions and stresses of suburban educators, particularly

referencing factors that impede or promote educator burnout. “Burnout may be defined

as a progressive loss of idealism, energy, purpose, and concern as a result of conditions of

work” (Farber, 2001, p. 325). A total of 398 public school educators were drawn for

participation in the study and taught in three counties in New York. Of the 398

educators, 365 expressed teaching in a suburban school. The final sample size consisted

of 236 female and 129 male educators, primarily white. Farber (1984) used the Teacher

Attitude Survey (TAS), which is a modified version of the MBI. The survey consisted of

25 statements about professional work, using a 7-point Likert-type scale. “Each item on

the TAS was rank-ordered according to both frequency and intensity” (Farber, 1984, p.

326). Statistical analysis was used using t-test and one-way ANOVAs.

Results indicated that the most intense sources of satisfaction for educators in the

sample were from feeling sensitive and involved with students. Additional feelings of

satisfaction came from having teaching experiences that allowed the educator to feel

competent, important, and committed to the job (Farber, 1984). Educators also showed

to have more time and energy for friends, family, and other activities outside the school

setting. Areas in which the educators showed most dissatisfaction included unsuccessful

21

administrative meetings, excessive paperwork, and lack of advancement opportunities in

teaching. The results indicated that suburban educators occasionally to rarely feel burned

out by the job or emotionally drained. However, Farber (1984) indicates that this can be

a bit misleading because of the sample. Additional data suggested that educators who

teach in smaller schools have more commitment to teaching than those that are in midsize

schools (600 to 950 students). Discussion of the study reported that, although teachers

are stressed by the job, the rate of burnout is not as high in suburban areas. In addition,

the suburban educators showed a higher rate of commitment to teaching and that

motivation for continuing in the profession is positive. One of the limitations of this

study is that there was only comparison of educators in suburban school settings, not a

comparison with other suburban or urban schools. For the present study, there will be a

comparison between an urban and suburban school to evaluate differences and

similarities in stress, stress symptoms, and burnout. Evaluating if the results reflect that

of the literature will serve to answer the hypothesis.

Section Summary

The literature suggests that urban school educators face more challenges than

suburban school settings. These challenges impact job satisfaction, stress, and burnout.

The three articles reviewed individually evaluated urban educator stress and challenges

and suburban educator stress and challenges. All three articles support the notion that the

community in which a school is located impacts school resources and educator support.

Within the urban school setting, one notes the challenges often faced due to student-

teacher relationships and increase in violence. Additional challenges come from the staff

22

demographic of the urban school and heavy workloads. In the suburban school setting,

educators are often more satisfied with the career and establishing positive relationships

with students. Limitations noted through all three pieces of literature involve only

examining the challenges in an urban or suburban school. There is little comparison

between the two types of schools within one piece of literature. This, therefore, was a

major influencer in determining the scope of the current study.

Improving Stress in the American Educator

Public school educators are often exposed to emotional challenges that lead to

negative emotional responses. Reoccurring negative emotions often lead educators to be

less caring, less interested in cultivating impactful and positive relationships with

students, and less tolerant (Rudge, 2012). The purpose of the study was to determine if

mindfulness and meditation reduced stress levels among educators. Twenty-five students

enrolled in a Transformative Practices in Education and in the Community Course were

studied. The group consisted of educators, principals, assistant principals, and special

education educators. All group participants worked in the same school in central Ohio.

The majority of participants were female (n=20) and white. Every class was two and one

half hours over 10 weeks. “Data collected for this study included students’ journal

entries, midterm, and final self-analysis/self-reflection papers, and a course evaluation”

(Rudge, 2012, p. 18). Rudge (2012) asked the class participants to keep record of

changes noticed in personal self, interactions, and perceptions. Data analysis was done

through constant comparative analysis. In order to minimize subjective interpretation,

23

Rudge (2012) looked for statements that specifically indicated transformation, such as

“’I’m feeling less stressed’” (p. 18).

Students were required to do 10-20 minutes of daily sitting meditation outside the

scheduled class time and engage in purposeful mindfulness activities outside class. For

students who regularly practiced medication and mindfulness, there was a felt reduction

of stress levels. Additionally, students reported feeling more relaxed and more peaceful

throughout the quarter. In the spring, often a busy time for educators, those that

participated in the class and performed meditation reported lower anxiety levels and a

feeling of balance. Sleeping improvements were noted only for students who regularly

practiced meditation outside the scheduled class time. Finally, the majority of students

reported a higher level of awareness, whether engaging in regular meditation or not.

These results indicated that there is a connection between lower stress levels and self-care

or stress management techniques, like meditation. Feeling more connected to oneself

allows for greater connectedness to those in the surrounding environment. This is an

important distinction to take into consideration for the current study. Examining the

ways and techniques educators use to manage stress will allow for more solid conclusions

when recommending tools and techniques that could be adapted in the school district. A

limitation noted by Rudge (2012) is the sample size. To expand on these techniques

further, it is recommended to increase the sample size across more than one school

setting.

Expanding on the technique of mindfulness, Flook, Goldberg, Pinger, Bonus, and

Davidson (2013) report that this technique improves the activation in the brain regions

24

responsible for heightened attention and positive affection states, such as empathy.

Training in mindfulness has been shown to create a self-regulation of neural circuits in

the prefrontal cortex, which improves sustained attention and emotion regulation. Little

research has been done on the effects of mindfulness practice in the educational arena,

specifically for educators. Flook et al. (2013) primarily had the goal of adapting the

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for educators, while evaluating the

outcomes of self-reported changes in stress. A total of 18 public elementary school

teachers from a medium sized Midwestern city participated in the study. The four

schools in which educators were drawn from serve primarily low-income students with

high minority/racial populations. The majority of educators were female with an average

of 12 years teaching experience. Flook et al. (2013) measured psychological distress,

mindfulness and self-compassion, burnout, teacher classroom behavior, cortisol

measurement, neuropsychological and attentional tasks, and mindfulness practice

compliance. Two groups were randomly created. The experimental group would receive

the intervention of regular mindfulness training and practice. Independent samples t-test

were conducted for determining differences in the group at baseline. Paired samples t-

tests were conducted on the outcome measures from pre- to post-test.

Results showed that the intervention group showed significant improvement on

many of the self-reported measures. Some of these improvements included decreases in

psychological symptoms, decreases in burnout, and increase in self-compassion humanity

subscale. The control group showed a significant decrease in cortisol, but a slight

increase in burnout. Discussion informs the reader that this pilot study suggests that the

25

intervention of mindfulness, when adapted for educators, reduces psychological

symptoms and burnout, while increase effective teaching behavior and reducing

attentional biases. The more an educator participated in mindfulness, the more the

burnout score decreased. Limitation noted by Flook et al. (2013) was the small sample

size that created limited power to detect effects and include multiple comparisons. Using

this research for the current study will aid in offering recommendations after results are

gathered and calculated to present to administration. Identifying techniques that are

shown to improve educator stress and burnout will strengthen the desire to improve the

current resources being offered.

Supporting educators through psychological stress management is shown to have

positive impact on outcomes. This support not only impacts the educator stress, but also

impacts student learning and achievement. “When teachers are stressed, they are often

irritable, impatient, and easily frustrated and, thus, unable to provide the necessary

support to help students succeed” (Kipps-Vaughan, 2013). Identifying the outcomes of

wellness programs that provide stress management resources is the purpose of the

literature produced by Kipps-Vaughan (2013). Interventions such as stress awareness,

psychological training, cognitive coping strategies, and environment adjustment are all

ways for improving stress among educators. Kipps-Vaughan (2013) suggested that

creating school-based stress management programs requires specific attention to educator

needs and wants. Identifying the key sources of stress through a needs assessment is

recommended by Kipps-Vaughan (2013). This assessment will then lead the wellness

26

programmers to develop resources that fit the needs of the educator, rather than create

one more task for the educator to complete.

Kipps-Vaughan (2013) informed that these needs based assessments in

identifying impactful stress management techniques for educators can result in creating a

culture of relatedness that has a positive impact on the educational process. “A principal

who addresses the needs of teachers promotes an environment in which teachers can

more readily address the needs of students” (Kipps-Vaughan, 2013, p. 45). A challenge

noted by Kipps-Vaughan (2013) in creating stress management classes and techniques for

educators are that many middle level teachers often do not see the need for such

resources. However, Kipps-Vaughan (2013) suggested making the classes meet criteria

for licensure credits or recertification points. These suggestions brought forth by the

literature aid in recommendations that could specifically identify areas of stress

management from the current study results. In a way, the current study is a needs

assessment that will assist administration in creating or utilizing resources to assist the

educators in managing stress better.

Section Summary

Recent literature recommends adopting mindfulness and meditation regularly

within the school setting for ways of coping and managing stress. The three articles all

encouraged seeking educator input into what resources should be offered for managing

stress. The first two focused on how frequent use of mindfulness impacts psychological

response and burnout. The latter article focused on steps needed to ensure resources are

utilized well and makes an impact on educator stress levels. Limitations across all

27

studies were sample sizes. Because this is a new form of intervention, additional research

must be done to examine the impact the intervention has on overall stress level and

burnout among educators. Identifying the needs and sources of stress in the current study

will allow for recommendations to be made for ongoing research. Additionally, these

recommendations can be presented to school administration for improvement of overall

stress among the school’s educational staff.

Summary

Stress and burnout among educators is an ongoing concern. Identifying the main

causes of stress, how stress differs in different school settings, and how to treat the stress

are all-important aspects to discover. The literature reviewed in this chapter seeks to

create a need for researching this concern among educators further. Student needs, non-

teaching required paperwork, administrative support, and job dissatisfaction were all

causes of stress identified in the first three articles. Urban and suburban schools also

show differences in stressors. Among urban school settings, large class sizes, and the

fear of violence are causes of stress for educators. Stressors noted in suburban school

educators come from lack of problem solving during administrative meetings and

excessive paperwork. However, in the suburban school setting, educators often report a

higher rate of job satisfaction due to student achievement and educational growth.

Treating stress among educators begins with understanding the needs of the educator.

Among the literature, mindfulness is beginning to become a new treatment method

showing positive results in psychological response and rates of burnout. Across all

studies, limitations in the sample sizes, as well as limitation in only identifying sources of

28

stress within a school setting. For future research, it is important to investigate the

impact that external or personal stress has on career stress among the educators. The

current study contributes to the previously reviewed literature in comparing stress levels

among urban and suburban schools, as well as identifying resources offered for reducing

stress levels in each school.

29

Chapter 3: Research Method

Introduction

Stress among Americans has seen concerning increases over the past few years.

In fact, the APA (2014a) indicates that stress levels have increased by 44 percent in the

last five years. The ambiguous nature of stress leads to difficulty in measuring just how

stressed Americans are. However, one group of Americans that continues to report high

levels of stress, since the 1980s, is the American educator. With lack of administrative

support, unsubstantial increases in pay, standardization of test scores, and parental

pressures being top stressors amongst this population, researchers continue to seek if

there are differences in the extent and type of stress found in different school locations.

According to the University of Michigan (n.d.), urban schools often serve more students

that come from low-income, single-parent households. These schools will often have

larger classroom sizes, when compared to suburban schools, impacting the educator to

student ratios (Jacob, 2007). Because there are noted differences between urban and

suburban schools, there is a unique opportunity to compare these differences side-by-

side. Thus, the purpose of this research is to determine the differences and similarities

among urban and suburban elementary school educators. This research will aid in

determining if the concern around educator stress truly is universal or is more likely to be

located in different communities.

Research Design and Approach

This research followed a non-experimental, quantitative research design to

examine the stressors and responses to stress among elementary educators. This research

30

is correlational in nature and prospective as the author seeks to determine correlations

between educator causes of and responses to stress in both the urban and suburban school

setting. Previously published, peer-reviewed research was examined to find an

appropriate, reliable, and valid instrument for measuring educator stress among the target

population.

Setting

The setting of the study did not have a particular location; rather, educators were

sent surveys through electronic mail and social media outlets. Educators who completed

the survey were from a variety of locations in the Midwestern section of the United

States. Because of the scope of study, the researcher aimed to include both urban and

suburban educators, which the educator identified when completing the survey. In order

to correctly identify the location of the school the educator was employed, the survey

instrument indicated an urban school as an inner city school often consisting of students

from low-income, single family household and suburban school as located outside a large

city. Because there are demographic differences and similarities between urban and

suburban schools, the researcher determined that identifying urban, as inner city, would

create clarification for educator identification in the instrument.

Participants

The sampling procedure used for study was convenience sampling. Utilizing

social media, the researcher increased participation by asking for survey responses from

any elementary educator sharing in the social media site. Using electronic mail, the

researcher accessed participants through familial educator contacts from a variety of

31

Midwestern locations. For purposes of the study, middle and senior high educators were

excluded, as well as administration. A total of 71 elementary educators participated in

the study. Urban educators made up 46 of the total population, with 25 educators from a

suburban school setting. Among urban elementary educators, the mean age was 35 to 40

years old, with five male participants, the remainder female. Suburban elementary

educators had a mean age of 29 to 34 years old, with all female participants.

Measurement Instrument

The Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI) questionnaire was used to evaluate the unique

causes and responses to stress in the American educator. The TSI was first developed by

Michael Fimian to determine sources and manifestations of stress. With permission to

use and adapt from the author, the researcher adapted the questionnaire to reflect a five-

point Likert scale, consisting of 44 questions. Please see Appendix A for the

measurement instrument. To ensure confidentiality, the survey only asked for participant

age range, gender, and type of school the educator was employed. The validity and

reliability of the TSI have previous been established by Fimian (1988) and the measure

has been tested to ensure that statements in the inventory are appropriate for educators.

Due to time limitations, the researcher was unable to conduct pilot studies using the

survey, therefore, has relied on the validity and reliability of the TSI in previous research

and determined the validity and reliability of the instrument.

Procedure

Before distributing the TSI, the researcher obtained IRB approval for using

human subjects for participation in the study. The measurement instrument was

32

transferred from paper copy to online modality for convenience purposes. After

obtaining IRB approval, the researcher posted the survey on social media and sent the

survey to identified elementary educators through electronic mail. Responses were

securely and confidentially returned to the researcher through the online modality for

statistical analysis.

Data Analysis

The collected data were categorized and analyzed in terms of the research

question using quantitative data analysis. The results of the survey statements were

analyzed using descriptive statistics by determining the mean and standard deviation of

each statement per group of educators. Because the survey responses utilized a Likert-

type scale, the researcher established that Strongly Agree would amount to a 5, Agree to

a 4, Neutral to 3, Disagree to 2, and Strongly Disagree to a value of 1. After determining

those values for each statement on the TSI, the researcher determined the causes and

responses to stress that showed the most difference within each group and between each

group of educators. In order to determine any significant difference in stress among the

urban and suburban educators, the researcher utilized a t-test. Data is recorded using both

graphical and table representation to show the demographic information of the

participants, the mean of results in each group, the standard deviation for each statement

from the TSI, and any statistical significance.

Summary

The objective of this study is to determine differences and similarities in urban

and suburban elementary educators. The study was focused on urban and suburban

33

educators from a variety of settings in the Midwestern part of the United States.

Participants of the study obtained an online version of the TSI through social media and

electronic mail to evaluate both the main causes and responses to stress in the classroom,

the school, and in the educator role. Using descriptive statistics, the researcher

determined both the mean and standard deviation for each statement among the urban and

suburban schools separately in order to perform comparison and evaluate the differences

or similarities in stress with a t-test.

Protection of Human Participants

IRB approval was submitted to ensure that all participants were not harmed

during the process of the study, as well as ensure the study was conducted ethically in

compliance with federal regulations. A confidentiality statement with required response

was included at the beginning of the survey and all responses were kept anonymous. All

questions were optional for the participant to answer except for agreeing to or not

agreeing to the confidentiality statement at the beginning of the survey tool.

34

Chapter 4: Results

Introduction

Over the course of the last few years, stress among United States’ citizens has

been on the rise. According to the APA (2014a), citizens have reported a 44 percent

increase in stress, finding finances, employment, and the nation’s economy as the top

stressors. Stress is a difficult emotion and term to define, leaving much room for

interpretation at an individual and collective level. However, educators are widely

known to be a group of individuals experiencing greater amounts of stress when

compared to other occupations. Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to negative health

outcomes such as depression, anxiety, hypertension, and heart disease. Additional health

risks include greater risk of being infected with the common cold and sleep deprivation

(NIH, n.d.). Not only can stress in the American educator lead to burnout and health risk,

stress among this population can result in high turnover rates. According to the NCES

(2010), “Among public school teachers with 1–3 years of experience, 77.3 percent stayed

in their base-year school, 13.7 percent moved to another school, and 9.1 percent left

teaching in 2008–09.” Emotional challenges, dissatisfaction with pay and benefits, lack

of social support, and difficult working conditions are all sources of educator stress.

Although many educators are faced with these challenges, this thesis aims to determine

differences and similarities amongst elementary educators employed at either an urban or

suburban school. Determining such differences and similarities amongst both cohorts can

lead to improving educator support within the school and school district, as well as lead

to recommendations in reducing the stress in the profession. The following sections

35

represent data collected, as well as the use of inferential statistics, to determine any

significant difference in causes off and responses to stress comparing urban elementary

educators and suburban elementary educators.

Research Findings

A total of 71 elementary educators completed the survey. Responses that only

included the participant’s age range and gender were discarded due to no response on the

rest of the survey. The researcher established the mean and standard deviation for each

survey statement and calculated statistical significance through mean comparison. Due to

the length and scope of the survey, the researcher chose a set amount of survey

statements to discuss further.

Table 1 focuses on select statements relating to time-management and work-

related stressors. Using a statistical significance of p≤.05, the researcher determined that

there is a statistically significant difference in educator stress among a few of the

statements in this category. The pace of the school day is one statement in which urban

educators report as a significant determinant of stress when compared to suburban

educators with a mean of 4.000 (SD=0.988) in urban educators and a mean of 3.621

(SD=0.752). Lacking promotional and advancement opportunities showed no significant

difference between the two groups of educators yielding a mean of 3.25 (SD=1.102) in

urban educators and a mean of 2.833 (SD=1.007) in suburban educators.

36

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Sco

re

Correlating Statement

Figure 1: Mean Difference Amongst Urban

and Suburban Elementary Educators for

Table 1

Urban Educators

Suburban Educators

Table 1: Select Responses Regarding Time-Management and Work-related

Stressors

*Denotes significant difference in means using p≤.05.

Statement

Urban

Educator

Mean

Urban

SD

Suburban

Educator

Mean

Suburban

SD

p

value

1. I frequently have to do more

than one thing at a time. 4.689 0.514 4.667 0.565 0.868

2. I have little time to relax/enjoy

the time of day. 4.222 0.958 3.792 1.103 0.045*

3. There isn't enough time to get

things done. 4.568 0.625 4.167 1.007 0.0211*

4. I spend too much time outside

the classroom preparing for

school.

4.091 0.858 3.625 1.245 0.0337*

5. There is too little time to

prepare for my

lessons/responsibilities.

4.318 0.909 3.708 0.908 0.0043*

6. I have too much work to do. 4.326 0.865 3.792 1.021 0.0112*

7. The pace of the school day is

too fast. 4 0.988 3.261 0.752 0.0009*

8. My caseload/class is too big. 4.116 1.138 3.417 1.139 0.008*

9. I lack promotion and/or

advancement opportunities. 3.25 1.102 2.833 1.007 0.0594

37

Table 2 represents responses to statements involving feelings of being

overwhelmed and frustrated inside and outside the classroom setting. Poorly defined

discipline policies showed a significant difference between the educators with a mean

among urban educators of 3.884 (SD=1.028) and a mean among suburban educators of

3.043 (SD=1.022). Additionally, monitoring student behavior showed statistically

significant difference when comparing the urban educators (Mean=3.795, SD=1.098)

with suburban educators (Mean=3.125, SD=1.227). There showed to be no statistically

significant difference between both groups of educators when determining the

frustrations with parental or guardian pressures (p=.0876). Although, suburban educators

showed a higher mean score of 3.174 (SD=1.154) than urban educators mean score of

2.795 (SD=1.091).

Table 2: Select Responses to Statements Beginning with “I feel overwhelmed and/or

frustrated…”

*Denotes significant difference in means using p≤.05.

Statement

Urban

Educator

Mean

Urban

SD

Suburban

Educator

Mean

Suburban

SD

p

value

1. …because of discipline

problems in my classroom 3.841 1.098 3.125 1.227 .0071*

2. …having for monitor student

behavior. 3.795 1.153 3.083 1.23 .0089*

3. …attempting to teach students

who are poorly motivated. 3.605 1.218 3.091 1.065 .0404*

4. …because of inadequate/poorly

defined discipline policies.

3.884 1.028 3.043 1.022 .0008*

5. …because of pressure and

expectations from

parent(s)/guardian(s).

2.795 1.091 3.174 1.154 0.0876

38

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1 2 3 4 5

Sco

re

Correlating Statement

Figure 2: Mean Difference Amongst Urban

and Suburban Elementary Educators for

Table 2

Urban Educators

Suburban Educators

Table 3 evaluates responses in regard to professional investment. Among the

statements evaluated, there is a significant difference in the educator’s personal opinions

being sufficiently heard. Urban educators showed a mean score of 3.523 (SD=1.11) and

suburban educators showed a mean score of 2.957 (SD=0.976). Professional

development opportunities showed no significant difference in mean scores between the

groups of educators.

Table 3: Select Responses to Statements Regarding Professional Investment

*Denotes significant difference in means using p≤.05.

Statement

Urban

Educator

Mean

Urban

SD

Suburban

Educator

Mean

Suburban

SD

p

value

1. My personal opinions are not

sufficiently heard. 3.523 1.11 2.957 0.976 .0175*

2. I lack control over decisions

about classroom/school matters.

3.682 1.006 3.174 1.072 .0260*

3. I lack opportunities for

professional development. 2.295 1.069 2.304 1.105 0.973

39

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1 2 3

Sco

re

Correlating Statement

Figure 3: Mean Difference Amongst Urban

and Suburban Elementary Educators for

Table 3

Urban Educators

Suburban Educators

Table 4 shows there were no significant differences in stress responses between

the groups of educators. All mean responses from both groups of educators fell on the

Neutral to Strongly Disagree side of the scale. However, of the responses in the stress

response category of the survey tool, physical exhaustion showed to yield the highest

mean values with urban educators showing a mean of 3.488 (SD=1.20) and suburban

educators yielding a mean of 3.32 (SD=1.17). Stomach cramps appear to also show a

difference in mean values, but no statistical significance. Urban educators report a mean

score for stomach cramps at 1.93 (SD=0.961) with suburban educators reporting a mean

value of 2.227 (SD=0.922).

40

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1 2 3 4 5 6

Sco

re

Correlating Statement

Figure 4: Mean Difference Amongst Urban

and Suburban Elementary Educators for

Table 4

Urban Educators

Suburban Educators

Table 4: Select Responses to Statements Beginning with “I respond to stress…”

*Denotes significant difference in means using p≤.05.

Conclusion

Statistical analysis consisted of determining the mean and standard deviation, as

well as mean comparison to determine statistical significance. Statements from the TSI

survey showed statistically significant differences in urban and suburban elementary

Statement

Urban

Educator

Mean

Urban

SD

Suburban

Educator

Mean

Suburban

SD

p

value

1. … by sleeping more than

usual. 2.571 1.102 2.5 1.012 0.396

2. … by procrastinating. 3.558 1.161 3.409 1.297 0.311

3. … by becoming fatigued in

a very short period of time. 3.419 1.096 3.273 1.077 0.296

4. … with physical exhaustion. 3.488 1.203 3.318 1.171 0.284

5. … with feelings of increased

blood pressure. 2.372 1.176 2.19 0.981 0.256

6. … with stomach cramps. 1.93 0.961 2.227 0.922 0.106

41

educators. These differences were seen the educator’s feelings of being overwhelmed

and frustrated, as well as in time management and work-related stressors, to name a few.

However, all statements evaluating stress response showed no statistical significance

between both groups of educators, even if mean values showed difference.

42

Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations

Introduction

The definition of stress has evolved over many years and is, today, known as the

body’s response to any source or type of demand (NIMH, n.d.). Among professions with

known levels of high stress in the United States, having a career in education is known to

be one of high stress and demand. Poor working conditions and pay, lack of

administrative support, and standardization of assessment scores have all been deemed

causes of stress among the American educator. However, in the current literature, there

is little information regarding differences among groups of educators and the differences

between causes and response to stress among the different groups. More specifically,

among elementary educators, the research determining if such differences exist is

lacking. Therefore, the current research seeks to determine the differences and

similarities in causes and responses to stress among urban and suburban elementary

educators. The research hypothesized that there is a significant difference in sources and

responses to stress when comparing suburban elementary educators to urban elementary

educators.

Discussion

Time-Management and Work-Related Stressors

When asked to rate the agreement of statements regarding time-management and

work-related stressors, the majority of statements analyzed show urban educators to find

these stressors more significant than suburban educators. Among this section of the TSI,

urban educators appear to have to spend more time outside the school day preparing for

43

school-related tasks, as well as not finding enough time to get tasks done during the

school day. Literature supports the results that urban educators find class sizes and

caseloads to be a significant cause of stress when compared to suburban educators. In

urban school settings, there is often a challenge to keep class sizes at a minimum due to

funding challenges, community differences, and educator staffing, when compared to

suburban school settings. Both groups of educators showed similarity in having to

perform more than one task at a time. The researcher believes this result to be consistent

across elementary educators, no matter the school location, due to working with multiple

students at different educational levels throughout the day.

Statements Regarding Feelings of Being Overwhelmed and Frustrated

Frustrations and feelings of being overwhelmed by statements asked on the TSI

show a significant difference in the urban educator. Among these statements, discipline

problems, monitoring student behavior, and poorly defined discipline policies are more

severe causes of stress for the urban educators sampled. Connecting these statements of

the survey to the previous section, class size may be a contributor to these forms of

stressors. Pressures from and expectations of parents or guardians was one statement in

which the researcher hypothesized to show more significance in favor of suburban

educators. Suburban educators reported pressures and expectations from parents or

guardians as a more substantial stressor than urban educators, but no statistical

significance was shown. Often in suburban school settings, parents or guardians show

more involvement with the student; however, this can often result in higher expectations

from the educator.

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Professional Investment

Due to an increase in expectations regarding student assessment scores,

elementary educators often show a decrease in satisfaction with how much professional

investment is being placed toward the classroom and students. This section of the TSI,

showed that lacking decision making opportunities and having opinions being sufficiently

heard was more significant source of stress among urban educators. Literature supports

that the arena of education has shifted over the last 20 years to be more focused on

standardized learning. Although standardization creates consistency among districts, the

educators sampled show that this standardization may cause a lack of autonomy and

opinion within the classroom and school. However, the educators from both the urban

and suburban school settings believe that professional development opportunities are not

lacking within the school. The researcher believes that professional development

opportunities are not lacking due to an increase in standardization of assessments that

require additional training.

Responses to Stress

The survey section regarding educator responses to stress showed no statistical

significance between the urban and suburban educators. Across many professional

arenas, stress has increasingly become a topic of focus, specifically how stress affects

one’s health. Because of these new developments, understanding how one’s body

responds to stress is still being discovered. However, research does suggest that stress

causes higher rates of depression, anxiety, and hypertension, understanding how stress

affects the individual person is still being reviewed. Within this section of the survey, the

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majority of educators showed mean scores to the responses to stress as either a three or

lower showing the researcher that elementary educators may lack the necessary tools

needed to evaluate how each individual body responds to stress.

Limitations

Although the research supported the hypothesis, there were limitations to the

study. First, the researcher had to rely on a random sample of educators that determined

the type of school in which employed, although provided a definition at the beginning of

the survey. This was a limitation because a more controlled study, using one or two

urban schools and one or two suburban schools would have allowed for more in-depth

discussions about the specific causes of stress. Additionally, a more controlled

environment would have allowed for greater questioning with a mix of qualitative and

quantitative data. Secondly, the TSI, although a useful tool, was used due to limited time

and resources to pilot study an original survey. Using an originally developed survey

would allow the researcher to tailor specific questions to the elementary educator

population, using information gathered during initial planning phases. Adding questions

related to stressors outside of the school setting would be a benefit, as well, if an original

survey were used. Thirdly, although the sample size exceeded researcher expectations,

the sample was small when considering the thousands of elementary educators in a major

metropolitan city. To obtain a better understanding of the differences between urban and

suburban elementary educator stress, the sample size should be more substantial. Lastly,

the researcher notes that a limitation was administering the survey in the summer months

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when many educators were not in school session. This may have impacted the results by

not being completing during school months, typically September through June.

Recommendations for Future Research

Based on the results of the current study, the researcher has a few

recommendations. First, as aforementioned, creating a survey that is administered to a

controlled group of educators in both an urban and suburban school setting will assist

future research in identifying relationships between causes of and responses to stress.

Future studies could also use and experimental design consisting of two groups of

educators; one group would receive an intervention, such as yoga classes, stress

management forums, or specifically designed breaks throughout the day, where the other

group of educators would receive no intervention. A survey would be administered

before and after the intervention to determine any significant changes in stress causes or

responses. Moving forward, surveys administered to elementary educators should

include statements or questions evaluating stressors outside the classroom setting that

may impact stressors in the classroom. Often, stressors in one environment are often

impacted by stressors in another environment, thus encouraged to include in a survey that

determines different causes and sources of stress. If not sampling a controlled

environment, the researcher suggests including a larger sample of educators from a

variety of locations. Finally, the researcher recommends the surveys be administered

during the school months to gain a “real-time” understanding of the causes and symptoms

of stress.

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Conclusion

Three conclusions can be made from the study examining differences between

urban and suburban elementary educators. The first conclusion is that urban elementary

educators appear to have significantly higher levels of stress when compared to suburban

educators. Secondly, elementary educators may have difficulty understanding how the

body responses to stress and acknowledging those feelings. Thirdly, there may be a lack

of administrative support regarding stress management and understanding the stress that

educators are facing every day in and out of the classroom.

The first conclusion is that urban elementary educators appear to have

significantly higher levels of stress compared to suburban educators. Among the

statements in which urban educators show a significantly higher level of stress includes

time to perform tasks, behavior concerns, and classroom sizes. There are often many

factors that contribute to these significant differences. These factors include the

community that surrounds the school and how the school boundaries are divided within a

community, which impacts class size. Additionally, urban school districts have shown to

have less funding when compared to suburban school districts. This factor impacts class

size and establishing behavior policies that support both educators and students.

The second conclusion revolves around elementary educators lacking the

necessary skills to understand and determine the body’s responses to stress. When stress

becomes chronic, the body either masks symptoms or creates more noticeable, health-

threatening symptoms. The current study indicates that elementary educators may be

experiencing chronic stress, without recognizing the severity of the symptoms. In other

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words, when stress becomes a normal feeling, the body can no longer distinguish the

symptoms from the stress. To improve this, the researcher encourages schools and

school districts to perform necessary training to help educators understand the cues

received from the body when the work may be too stressful, as well as ways to cope and

alleviate the stress.

The third conclusion is that district administration may be unaware of the causes

of stress that elementary educators face on a day-to-day basis in and out of the classroom.

As assessment scores and standardization of curriculum continue to increase,

administration has a duty to the educators of the school to acknowledge and assist in

alleviating specific causes of stress. Additionally, elementary administration must make

continued effort in hearing the opinions and thoughts of employees and acting

accordingly to assist in reducing stress levels and treating health-impacting responses to

stress. Seeking to support the educators within the school takes more than a meeting

acknowledging the hard work of the educators. Support from administration and district

representatives means taking action to hear and understand such causes of stress and

provide necessary remedies to continue the support of the American elementary educator.

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Appendix A: Teacher Stress Inventory

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