See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/222306432

Preschool teachers' experience of stress

Article  in  Teaching and Teacher Education · July 1995

DOI: 10.1016/0742-051X(94)00038-8

CITATIONS READS

114 17,730

2 authors:

Alison (Ali) Lizette Black Donna Berthelsen

University of the Sunshine Coast Queensland University of Technology
99 PUBLICATIONS   602 CITATIONS    115 PUBLICATIONS   2,981 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

https://theresearchwhisperer.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/saved-by-slow-scholarship/ View project

Evaluation of Playgroup program View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Alison (Ali) Lizette Black on 18 November 2017.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Kelly, Alison, L and Berthelsen, Donna, C (1995) Preschool teachers' experience of stress.
Teaching and Teacher Education 11(4):345-357.

Copyright 1995 Elsevier

Preschool Teachers' Experiences of Stress

Alison L. Kelly and Donna C. Berthelsen

School of Early Childhood
Queensland University of Technology

Abstract
This research study investigated the phenomenon of stress among a group of preschool teachers.
Eight teachers were given opportunities to record and describe current sources of stress. These
teachers kept a reflective journal over a two week period and summarised their reflections
diagrammatically. The daily journal entries and the diagrammatic representations were analysed for
common themes on the sources of stress in the teachers' work. The researcher sought written
feedback and confirmation from the teachers that the themes identified by the researcher during
analysis were the major sources of stress for them. Confirmation was given that time pressures,
meeting children's needs, dealing with non-teaching tasks, maintaining early childhood philosophy
and practice, meeting personal needs, issues with parents of the children, interpersonal relationships,
and attitudes and perceptions about early childhood programs were the major sources of stress for
this particular group of teachers. Consideration of the themes support the view that there is a need
for research to explore teachers' experiences of stress within their specific teaching context such as
preschool or childcare, as well as within the wider contexts of the school campus and the educational,
organisational and social system. Differentiation between the internal demands which teachers place
upon themselves in their daily work and the external demands from organisational and social
pressures must be understood in order to provide support for teachers to cope with and adapt to
change.
 Preschool Teacher Stress

Preschool Teachers' Experience of Stress.

Occupational stress has significant effects on psychological well-being and serious account is
being taken of the health consequences of this stress (Fletcher, 1991). Stress needs to be understood
within the particular occupational context in which it occurs. Social change and economic imperatives
have challenged the teaching profession over the last decade, making it important to document the
effects of these changes on teachers. Research has supported the view that teaching is a stressful
occupation (Dworkin, Haney, Dworkin & Telschow, 1990; Kyriacou, 1987; Schwab, Jackson, &
Schuler, 1986; Pines & Maslach, 1980) and this stress has increased as the relationship between
society and education has become more complex (Esteve & Fracchia, 1986). As a result of social
change, teachers face increased parental and community expectations for the outcomes and
standards of education and the relevance of the curriculum. This has resulted in pressure to
implement change in curricula and teaching practices. Many teachers assert that they are
inadequately prepared to implement new curriculum (Bailey, Berrell & Gibson, 1991). Also, impacting
on teachers' work and its current organisation are economic imperatives stemming from governments
and employing authorities demanding more accountability in the work of teachers. In a period of
economic recession there are fewer resources available for education, as well as high levels of
unemployment of teachers, resulting in a climate in which employment security is felt to be under
threat. Such pressures from the social and educational system are externally driving much of the day-
to-day demands in teachers' work, increasing considerably the psychological and workload effects.
These demands affect teaching roles without teachers always knowing how to adapt and cope with
them. Because sources of stress are many and varied, a considerable level of alertness and caution
is required by teachers to meet the changing demands.

The prevalence and sources of occupational stress among teachers have been important
topics for research (Borg, 1990; Coles & Walker, 1989; Dworkin et al., 1990; Fimian,1987; Kaiser &
Polczynski,1982). Previous research has identified stressors for groups of teachers in specific
teaching contexts but there is a notable absence of research about the teacher in the kindergarten or
preschool setting. Although some studies have examined the impact of stress on teachers of young
children in the context of the child care setting (Duncan, 1980; Pines & Maslach, 1980), most studies
have focussed on primary school teachers, high school teachers or tertiary education teachers
(Byrne, 1991; Capel, 1991; Dworkin et al., 1990; Schwab & Iwanicki, 1982; Sarros & Sarros, 1990;
Tokar & Feitler, 1986).

Teacher stress has been defined in a number of different ways. The most frequently quoted
definition of teacher stress belongs to Kyriacou (1987) who defined teacher stress as the experience
by teachers of negative or unpleasant emotions resulting from aspects of their work. These emotional
 Preschool Teacher Stress

responses are mediated by the perception that the demands made upon the teacher constitute a
threat to personal self-esteem or well-being and by personal coping mechanisms which are activated
to reduce the perceived threat. Trendall (1989) proposed that stress is a multi-factorial concept
composed of factors within the individual, the organisation and nature of the work place, and the
nature of the wider society. This leads to the lowering of feelings of personal self-worth, achievement,
effectiveness and of coping within one's professional role. Otto (1986) provided a model which
described stress as a lack of fit between the external demands of the situation, the external resources
and constraints, the internal demands of the individual and the internal resources and constraints
perceived by the individual. These conceptions emphasise that stress involves the contribution of
personal and external factors, the individual's perception of these and the individual's resulting
negative response or reaction.

In order to understand teacher stress, researchers have sought to identify the major sources.
Common stressors of work overload, time restraints, problems with child behaviour, working
conditions, relationships with colleagues, lack of resources and the physical demands of teaching
have been identified repeatedly by researchers (Albertson & Kagan, 1987; Coles & Walker, 1989;
Dewe, 1986; Finlay-Jones, 1986; Fletcher & Payne, 1982; Hargreaves, 1990; Kyriacou & Suttcliffe,
1979; O'Connor & Clarke, 1990; Otto, 1986; Trendall, 1989). Borg, Riding and Falzon (1991) and
Brissie, Hoover-Dempsey and Bassler (1988) have also identified that poor working conditions,
perceptions of low status and poor school ethos influence teacher stress. In the course of identifying
sources of stress, many studies have investigated the impact of particular demographic variables
(gender, age, marital/family status, teaching experience and age level taught) on perceived stress
(Byrne, 1991; Malik, Mueller, & Meinke, 1991; Schonfeld, 1992; Schwab & Iwanicki, 1982; Schwab,
Jackson, & Schuler, 1986; Tokar & Feitler, 1986). Consideration of such characteristics is useful
when examining and associating the sources of stress reported, however findings from the above
studies indicate that such demographic variables do not predict stress.

Although common areas emerge in quantitative research as sources of stress for teachers in
general, consideration has yet to be given to the individual teacher within the context of particular
educational systems and also to the societal influences which impact on these systems. Also,
relatively common sources of stress reported should not override the importance of the individual
teacher's concerns and the importance of the specific context in which teaching takes place. Findings
by Smith and Bourke (1992) and Capel (1991) confirm that examination of the individual nature of
stress and the context in which teaching takes place is crucial to the understanding of a teacher's
experience of stress. Blase (1986) recognised the limited amount of qualitative research into stress
and noted that open-ended methods which give research participants opportunities to describe in
detail the meaning of work stress from their own perspective have rarely been used. Burns (1990)
 Preschool Teacher Stress

noted that qualitative forms of investigation embrace the host of personal meanings that are derived
from the context of direct experiencing and that perceptions and interpretations of reality are linked
with these meaning structures. Most of the instruments used to measure teacher stress are highly
structured survey measures which control responses and which may not be sensitive to individual's
perceptions of stress. Furthermore, many of the instruments are based on theoretical ideas and
assumptions developed from studies of stress outside of education (e.g. Kyriacou, 1987; Schwab &
Iwanicki, 1982). Qualitative methodologies provide avenues that can lead to the discovery of deeper
levels of meaning (Burns, 1990). In addition, Burns (1990) noted that qualitative research has made
educators realise that reality should never be taken for granted given that attention must be paid to
the multiple realities and socially constructed meanings that exist within every social context. The
societal and educational context may be the source of some unique features of stress which warrant
qualitative analysis.

The Social, Political, Economic and Educational Context of the Research

Social changes and economic imperatives have severely challenged the teaching profession
over the last decade within Australia. Proposals for educational reform have been linked to broader
social, economic and political agendas and these have resulted in major organisational changes. In
the report Focus on Schools (1990), the Queensland Department of Education had been influenced
by knowledge about how modern organisations operated efficiently and effectively, and regarded
successful organisations as those which responded to change and which incorporated the capacity to
manage ongoing change into their operations.

Efficiency and effectiveness in its structures and management practices are the ultimate goals
within the Queensland Department of Education. For instance, the process of devolution in decision-
making to schools has been an attempt to move from centralist structures to give local schools and
their teachers greater power to manage their own affairs and so increase the efficiency and
effectiveness of schools.

Until the early 1970's, a highly centralised pattern of administration existed. The publication
of Schools in Australia (1973), by the Australian Schools Commission, accelerated the reshaping of
education policy. In this report, the Karmel Committee argued for equality, diversity and devolution of
power whereby responsibility should be devolved as far as possible to the people involved in the
actual task of schooling. In practice, however, the achievement of these aims to broaden participation
in educational reform and practice has been hindered by a lack of adequate financial resources.
Restricted financial allocations in education have meant that schools are required to do more with
less, and the demand by legislation for accountability leaves less room for autonomy and real
 Preschool Teacher Stress

devolution in decision-making to schools. This has forced schools to concentrate less on the local
educational needs and more on the implementation of policies which stem from the centralist
bureaucracy. McMurdo (1993) when discussing possible negative consequences of devolution
described that effort may be diverted from the essential educative functions that a school must
perform. Image-making may become a preoccupation as schools seek to attract the right students to
enhance their reputation. Principals may be seen as Chief Executive Officers and entrepreneurs
rather than educators. Financial considerations also dominate school management decisions.
McMurdo (1993) has argued that the rhetoric of democracy is never fulfilled because the emphasis is
on tightening central control through national curricula, testing and standards, and through the
mechanisms of managerialism, competitiveness, hierarchy, and task orientation. Teachers seem to
have too little authority to carry out the responsibilities assigned to them.

Schools are being asked to address a multitude of social issues in their curricula and this
leads to pressures that crowd the teacher's day. Key functions of the Queensland Department of
Education's Social Justice Policy detailed in Focus on Schools (1990), included developing policy for
students with special needs, aboriginal and islander education, gender equity, multicultural students,
students with disabilities, and socio-economically disadvantaged students. Policy initiatives to
recognise the multiculturalism of Australian society, the integration of special needs children and
greater gender equity are valued by teachers, but schools have been expected to implement new
policies for the large part by using existing financial resources which have been inadequate
(Westwood, 1991). These changes have meant that increased knowledge and skills have been
continually required by teachers across the whole educational system to understand and adapt their
practices in the face of change. It has also resulted in greater workloads because of the increase in
responsibilities at the school level.

In Queensland during the 1970's, steps were taken by way of election promises to create a
preschool directorate within the Department of Education. A system of voluntary free preschool
education for all four year-old children was introduced. The government established that preschools
would be located on the grounds of existing primary schools but would operate as part of the
preschool directorate (Ashby, 1980).

Teaching staff were specifically trained in early childhood education, which encompasses the
period from birth to eight years of age (Donaldson, Grieve & Pratt, 1983). Donaldson et al., (1983)
have described early childhood as a period of momentous significance for all people growing up in our
culture. It is during this time that children enter the social world beyond the family and establish
themselves as members of a community of their peers, and encounter and deal with the challenges
set to them by the system of education within their culture. This places a very special responsibility
 Preschool Teacher Stress

on those involved in the teaching of young children during this period (Donaldson et al., 1983). It was
accepted in the proposal for preschool programs that the curriculum would have an early childhood
character and would not be a downward extension of the primary school curriculum. The preschool
teacher would be given autonomy to create preschool programs that would promote child-centred
education, and give attention to practices associated with developmental-interactionist approaches to
curriculum, teaching and learning (Biber, Shapiro and Wickens, 1971; Kohlberg and Mayer, 1972;
Ashby, 1972; Halliwell, 1977; Hohmann, Banet and Weikart, 1979). These aspects represented a
major innovation in the field of preschool education in Australia (Ashby, 1980).

Issues and limitations detected in reported research have shaped the focus of this research
study, as well as consideration being given to examining the societal and organisational factors
currently impinging on education in Queensland. The aim of this study has been to describe the
nature of stress currently being experienced by a group of preschool teachers in their daily work,
using a qualitative approach to data collection.

Research Methodology

The approach employed in this research aimed to produce a description of the meanings of
stress to preschool teachers and an analysis, interpretation, and categorisation of these meanings. A
reflective journal kept by participants, a diagrammatic representation summarising sources of stress,
and written feedback on the themes by the participants enabled this description to be made.

Bogdan and Biklen (1982) proposed that the worth of a study is the degree to which it
generates description and understanding. Keeping a personal document such as a reflective journal
is an effective method of acquiring such description and understanding. A personal document is any
self-revealing record that intentionally or unintentionally yields information regarding the structure,
dynamics and functioning of the author's life (Woods, 1986). Woods also noted that documents which
have a strong personal investment provide indicators of the participants' views and attitudes and may
contain much more information than can be acquired by other means.

The purpose of the analysis was not to generalise about teacher stress and all teachers, but
to understand stress in the preschool setting from the perspective of the group of teachers within this
study. During analysis, the data was segmented and organised so that themes could be identified.
The themes were used to explore the commonalities across the preschool teachers' perspectives on
stress, and to examine teachers' identification of, and reactions to, the societal and organisational
factors currently impinging on these preschool teachers.
 Preschool Teacher Stress

Participants

Eight preschool teachers employed within the public education system in a metropolitan area
were invited to participate in the study. All teachers approached agreed to participate. Preschool in
this study is defined as the non-compulsory year of education for four and five year olds preceding the
first year of formal schooling. All of these teachers were women and they ranged in age from 28 to 46
years, with teaching experience ranging from 4 to 15 years. The sample size was considered
appropriate in the light of the data collection methods. In the analysis, pseudonyms have been used
for the participants.

Research Procedure

At an introductory visit, the purpose and the nature of the research was explained. After
accepting the invitation to be involved in the study, each teacher was asked to keep a journal for an
agreed two week period which was towards the end of a school term. This period was considered
appropriate because teachers have been found to have higher stress levels towards the end of a term
(Capel, 1991; Esteve, 1989; Kinnunen, 1989). As journal entries take time to complete, two weeks
was considered to be a practical and accommodating time period for the participants. The
participants were asked to record observations of stressful events and their feelings, reactions,
interpretations and reflections on these events. The journals were useful sources of meaning as the
teachers did not simply describe everything that happened but instead from their personal perspective
emphasised certain aspects of any stressful experiences. The participants were also asked to
produce a diagrammatic representation of their overall experience of stress during the two week
period. The diagram provided an immediate summary of the individual teacher's perceptions of
stress, and emphasised the sources of stress they believed were impacting on their teaching role.
During analysis common themes were identified from the journal entries and diagrams of the group.
The participants were shown the themes evolving from the data and were asked to provide the
researcher with feedback. The participants made a written response about the relevance of the
themes and provided a ranking for each theme in terms of how important it was in their experience of
stress.

Procedure for Analysis

Elbow (1986) emphasised that the researcher has to be involved in a process of self-insertion
in the participant's story as a way of coming to know the participant's experience and in order to give
the participant voice. The journals were read many times as a way of coming to know the teachers'
 Preschool Teacher Stress

experiences of stress and as a way of entering into the teachers' thinking or perceiving. This earnest
study of the journal entries resulted in the development of a sense of themes across the teachers'
experiences of stress and an awareness of recurring terms or descriptions within the journals. The
researcher reconstructed teachers' written comments by sorting the information and descriptions from
each journal into components of perceived stress. These components were reviewed, combined and
checked against the journal entries and diagrams to generate sets of components or themes. Burns
(1990) described the theme as the most useful unit of analysis. It is important to note that the themes
emerged from the data and that the categories for sorting data were not established prior to the
analysis. The themes incorporated commonalities across the preschool teachers' perspectives of
their sources of stress. Many of these descriptions and themes overlap and are interrelated,
illustrating the complex nature of what constitutes stress at any one time. Diagrammatic
representations of personal sources of stress were created by six of the participating teachers. The
themes evolving from the journal entries were also revealed in these diagrams.

The teachers were shown the collective themes evolving from the data sources and asked to
confirm whether these illustrated the major sources of stress for them. This process of collaboration
gave the teachers an opportunity to respond to the researcher's interpretation of their experiences.
The teachers' written feedback confirmed that the themes were meaningful and did characterise the
major sources of stress facing them. Reflecting on their own experiences of stress the teachers then
ranked the thematic categories from `most' to `least' stressful.

Findings

The convergence of the information from the three data sources (journals, diagrams, and
written feedback) provided a strong basis for the conceptualisation of the nature and relative
importance of stressors for teachers in the preschool environment. These themes were time
pressures, children's needs, non-teaching tasks, maintaining early childhood philosophy and practice,
personal needs, issues with parents of the children, interpersonal relationships, attitudes and
perceptions about early childhood programs. The thematic extracts from the journal entries are
presented in the order of importance assigned to them by the teachers' combined rankings, from most
to least stressful.

The descriptions make it clear that the preschool teacher's job is complex and demanding.
The descriptions highlight that understanding what constitutes stress is by no means a simple task.
The diagrammatic representations of stress also illustrate the complexity. Two such representations
are presented in Figure 1 and Figure 2. The contributions of internal factors in the way stress is
 Preschool Teacher Stress

perceived and external factors stemming from organisational demands are evident throughout. The
contributions that internal factors make to perceived stress is especially strong for these preschool
teachers. Such factors include teachers' expectations, desires or wishes about aspects of their job
and their perceptions about whether these were being or could be fulfilled (e.g. "There are so many
things only the teacher can do...."; "How helpless I feel...."; "I wish there was something more we
could do....", "Being able to give the children with special needs more one-to-one interaction would
be wonderful...."). These teachers are experiencing dilemmas as a result of trying to maintain
practices based on their ideals.

Insert Figures 1 and 2 about here

Numerous organisational demands are described and these are communicated across the
themes. For example, all teachers identified difficulties associated with integrating special needs
children and the complexity of the teacher's role to plan and liaise with others to meet these children's
needs. All identified changes as a result of the devolution in decision-making processes, such as
frequent meetings out of school hours and extensive reporting demands.

The Themes:

Time Pressures

Teachers were most stressed by the numerous demands on their time and the interruptions to
their planned time. The teachers' sense of control was closely related to time demands. Clearly, time
pressures interfere with all facets of teaching and this is a pressure that overlaps into all the identified
themes. It was described repeatedly in the journal entries and featured in every diagram and
therefore was given a separate category in order to acknowledge the experience of this group of
teachers.

"Between completing forms, writing up observations and planning there is little time left in a
day. I seem to be going non-stop. Where's that non-contact time?" (Erin); "...Parents, children,
specialists etc, it seems there are all sorts of people making demands on my time" (Kim); "The phone
rang hot today, it is just so difficult having to do these extra things during session time. I know we
have teacher aides but there are so many things only the teacher can do" (Laura); "Today was
stressed by the fact that I had to find time to conduct a parent-interview during the program. I had a
request from regional guidance clinic for a report on a child - more time. There are never enough
 Preschool Teacher Stress

hours in the day" (Nerida); "Always rushing but getting nowhere! There never seems to be enough
time for the children to develop their play, the time limitations mean that we are always hurrying the
children along. They don't have enough time to develop their ideas to a satisfactory level" (Diane).

Children's Needs

The difficulties of trying to maintain a child-responsive curriculum and dealing with other
competing demands on the teachers' time was very evident. The role of teacher to meet the needs of
children includes responding to children with language problems and other special needs, being there
to talk to individual children, taking care of sick children, managing behaviour, supporting
development. Changes in family life are impacting upon the preschool setting as teachers believe
that they need to meet more of the emotional needs of children. Preschool teachers have high
expectations about meeting the needs of the whole child and believe that it is their responsibility to
assist each individual child's emotional, social, physical, and cognitive development.

"A child who has many special needs has started on a new program. More things to plan for"
(Fiona); "Being able to give the children with special needs more one-to-one interaction would be
wonderful. My nine language problem children will all be able to receive some intervention next term -
Thank Goodness!!" (Erin); "Hectic start to the day. I had two parents who wanted to discuss their
child's progress with me. This left no time to greet the children before starting time. Also today one
set of wet pants and another child with diarrhoea" (Kim); "N came back today - I am still worried
about her but mum says she is fine so what can I do. Still I had to keep an eye on her all afternoon to
make sure she was OK" (Laura); "The twins were a bit better today but M. was a wretch! He's been
just over the top lately. This disruptive and smart behaviour is a real trial at times" (Sandra);
"..Planning for time-out for behaviour modification of a special needs child and a `normal' child who
have been having the occasional conflict is difficult. There are children who while making some
progress in the area of fine motor development are still not performing to the normal level of
expectations" (Nerida).

Non-Teaching Tasks

The nature of the preschool environment is rather informal when compared to a larger school
system and there are fewer gatekeepers to protect the teacher from unnecessary interruptions. There
are no administrators or secretaries to answer phones or sort out paper work. The preschool
teachers' role is extended to equipment and material purchaser, secretary, cleaner, liaison officer with
students and sales representatives, profile and report writer. There is no allocated non-contact time
in which to do such tasks so the teacher has to make decisions about what part of her program or role
 Preschool Teacher Stress

10

she will sacrifice to meet the demands. Teachers often feel a loss of control with these additional
tasks because they have not had training with things such as speech screening, and it is not their
area of expertise. To resolve this dilemma teachers are required to attend inservice courses and
meetings out of school hours.

"8.10 before school meeting. Lunchtime was spent buying resources. After school, I went to
an inservice afternoon till 5.30" (Fiona); "The only day that we are able to have any time as a `lunch
break' and I've got a meeting. Considering our Father's Night is 5-7 p.m. tonight I'm going to be very
glad when the day is over" (Erin); "Another student walks in off the street wanting to observe a child
for an assignment. More time away from the children while getting her organised. Two reps. turned
up this afternoon unannounced, during session time and expected me to be able to stop and look at
their products. Workshop straight after school at primary school. Another rushed afternoon" (Kim);
"Now have to rush over to the school for a staff meeting. One of the toilets broke during the morning
session and flooded the children's bathroom - so not only did we have to clean up the mess, we then
had to keep the children out. Unfortunately, I missed one child going in and the bathroom was again
flooded, rang the school to arrange for a plumber and was put on hold. Difficult to supervise group
when on the phone" (Laura); "Stressful day. Did a lot of putting away in readiness for holidays and
for voting here on Saturday, pressured by furniture shifting and hire people with deadlines. Tried to
do one of the speech screening tests on M - that was stressful and a trial! I really felt quite
incompetent, after all it's not my area of expertise. I need a Speech Therapist - or at least a teacher
to supervise my group while I concentrate on the speech screening. I can't do both successfully"
(Sandra); "Sales people come to the door, I'm trying to get special event things done, phone keeps
ringing with people wanting information. Interruptions again and again" (Lorraine); "Writing an up to
date personal profile for my special needs child and then consulting with speech therapists and
physiotherapists made me aware that as classroom teachers more responsibility is being placed on
us to accommodate special needs without the training or time, and these specialists are spending
time in special needs units where they're unaware of the needs of the special child in the regular
classroom" (Nerida).

Maintaining Early Childhood Philosophy and Practice

A conflict between expectations about quality in an early childhood program and maintaining
that quality in practice exists for these teachers. The ideology behind the program is that teachers are
to provide a stimulating learning environment, and be able to capitalise on children's spontaneously
expressed interests and on emerging events in the room. First hand, interactive experiences are
developed while sensitively monitoring individual children's responses and supporting their unique
 Preschool Teacher Stress

11

ways of learning. Stress occurs when these expectations are not achieved due to interruptions or the
like and when teachers push themselves to achieve these extremely difficult goals.

"Had to change the routine to accommodate other things going on in the centre" (Fiona);
"Another day when we can't go outside because of the weather. Six of the afternoon children also
had dental appointments at the school today so all were collected at various stages of the afternoon
causing disruptions. Bad planning for today - I forgot about the P and C Meeting at 11.30 and have
planned to cook Gingerbread men with the afternoon children. Can I change it now they already
know?" (Laura); "Instead of getting started on Fathers' Day I am totally involved in developing a new
`track' in the children's play. Must drop other things and focus on this interest and need. Children
need me to be actively involved planning, guiding and helping - no time for other things. Speech
therapist is coming and it's raining. Where will the group go? - rearrange office to accommodate
group" (Lorraine).

Personal Needs

In order to accomplish all the tasks associated with the role of teacher, many of these
teachers sacrifice personal needs. The demands are so many, and the time is so limited that finding
a balance is a difficult and perhaps impossible exercise. The interpersonal demands of teaching are
high and often carry expectations of 'being all things to all people'.

"Hectic morning at home so rushed to work feeling flustered" (Fiona); "After being up half the
night with my own daughter I was probably less understanding than my normal self. Today is
unbearable even before the children arrive, I've thrown up and my migraine has continued.." (Erin);
"Feeling lousy today. Been up half the night sick. Still have to go to work because of the student. It's
easier to go to work than make alternative arrangements" (Kim); "Woke up feeling just dreadful this
morning but have to come in, not only is it the father's day stall but also the student is coming for her
observational visit. I have had one virus after the other, lately. Today no lunch and no break in
between the session - it's hard to keep going without any break" (Laura); "What a hectic afternoon.
Our principal came down to have a meeting with us. He didn't leave until 28 past 12 and my session
starts at 12.30! So it didn't leave much time for me to prepare my room. We had a father's night
tonight at preschool from 5 - 7.00 p.m. So it was a long day. Now I'm at home and I have to type up
a report for one of my `specials' for a school placement next year and I have to try to study up on
`electricity' which I'm hoping to present tomorrow AND plan my program as well, and then I'm
supposed to speech screen at least one child before the speech therapy meeting next week!! Maybe
tomorrow will be my lucky day. Didn't get home from preschool tonight until about 7.40 p.m. and I'm
too tired now to do anymore!!!" (Sandra); "The time taken to discuss administrative situations and
 Preschool Teacher Stress

12

then trying to meet day care time for my child is stressful. Shuffling my family routines and needing to
accommodate an additional Fathers' Day night causes family tension. Often it is my family that loses
not only time, but also quality of time. Speech workshop after school for two hours added to the
preparation time workload - caused stress when dealing with family commitments" (Nerida).

Issues with Parents of the Children

Family structures and employment patterns of parents are changing. Single parent families,
stepfamilies, and more working parents are evidence of social change. Often such changes make it
difficult for parents to participate in their children's schooling, as they also are trying to meet a variety
of demands. Some teachers believe that parents use the preschool centre as a child care facility
because they have no network for minding sick children or childcare fees are not affordable. Other
parents have no time to discover the value of the preschool day and the educational philosophy
behind the program. Communication with parents is highly valued in preschool education and finding
ways to maintain it amongst daily pressures is no easy task. The role of the teacher extends itself to
caring, monitoring nutrition, nursing, and providing attention, love, and understanding.

"This morning I could have screamed at a parent that we are not a child-minding service.
This same child also had no face washer and had been ill last night" (Erin); "I discouraged a difficult
parent from staying for the session. No lunch break today because I had to supervise children who
were not been collected. Two children are collected 20 minutes late with no explanation or apology.
A third child is collected 45 minutes late, and I have another parent wanting an extra day at preschool
for one of the `specials'. Somehow I get the feeling we are a babysitting service. Parent ignorance -
why do parents insist on sending children when they are obviously unwell - one child has been
dropped off with such a bad asthmatic cough that he can hardly catch his breath. After trying to
contact mum at home, I find out she is out for the day - playing bowls - of course she sent him to pre-
school" (Kim); "What can we do about home environments? Nothing. Give children love and support
when we can. One mother has never stayed at preschool. She always keeps her child at home when
she has any time off work. It appears preschool is just a part of her child care services. All last week
her child was at home with mum on holidays. I wish there was something more we could do to
impress on her the educational benefits to her child of the preschool. How can we effectively
communicate with parents we never see? Newsletters and notices home just aren't enough and
home visits are not possible" (Diane).

Interpersonal Relationships
 Preschool Teacher Stress

13

The nature of preschool is interactive, informal and people-oriented. It is important for these
teachers to create and maintain a positive interpersonal environment. These preschool teachers
have a multitude of people with whom they encounter in a working day, such as teacher aides,
children, parents, principals, administrators, registrars, school staff, cleaners, student teachers,
therapists and members of other special agencies.

"The teacher aides seem to be reacting negatively to our increased workload" (Fiona); "I
have a teaching practice student at the moment who is struggling with control of the group. I spend a
lot of time encouraging her and talking to her. Just had an argument with my principal over release
time to consult for one hour with all the specialist staff involved with one of my `specials', the
principal's response - why do you need to go?" (Kim); "Had a mum on roster this afternoon, she was
a big help but her toddler caused a few problems. Its hard to have toddlers on roster but its the only
way to get the parents. We were cutting out and dressing gingerbread men and the aide is sitting at
the puzzle table with one child while I am trying to help four or five at the same time. To top it off one
of the children is sick and crying and of course mum isn't home" (Laura); "Student to organise, and a
work experience girl, need to find jobs for everyone, keep aide happy if I can. I'm having staff
problems - I find these issues very difficult to deal with" (Lorraine).

Attitudes and Perceptions about Early Childhood Programs

Inherent in the problem of community attitudes about preschool education is the dilemma of
status; the status assigned to non-compulsory schooling and early childhood programs, to women, to
young children, and to teachers associated with young children (Gifford,1992). The one campus
policy for primary and preschools in a local school community has not accounted for the specialised
nature of preschool education and instead it is assumed that preschool programs will fit satisfactorily
into models developed for primary schools generally. On one hand the primary school is saying that
the preschool is part of the campus and involvement is sought. However, often the involvement
requested of the preschool is prescriptive and causes the preschool teacher to feel constrained in her
efforts to maintain the practices of early childhood education. On the other hand, primary schools are
continuing to function as they did before a one campus policy was implemented and are neglecting to
inform or include the preschool in school activities and programs.

"Spoke to the organiser of a P-3 activity day only to find that it had been finalised without
consulting us and we didn't rate a mention in the newsletter" (Fiona); "The relief aide the registrar
sends has no experience working in preschools so I spend half my day telling her what needs to be
done" (Kim); "No lunch again today - up at school talking to administration trying to get the preschool
included in more things. Got more jobs to do: School Development Plan and Human Relationship
 Preschool Teacher Stress

14

Education Program - preschool is not in on these things. We actually need more contact on a more
practical everyday level, not needing more paperwork to fit in around everything else. Such differing
philosophies between preschool and school - causes a lot of tension at meeting and discussion times"
(Lorraine); "Really rushed to clean up to attend staff meeting. Just as we reached staffroom door we
were told the meeting wasn't on - as per usual the preschool wasn't told what was happening. Even
though we are the closest building to Administration we are mostly invisible! We really need
more/better communication with the rest of the staff. Preschool staff really complaining about ground
and cleaning staff priority of 1-7 school and neglect of the preschool as a worthwhile part of the
campus" (Diane).

Sources of stress not directly identified as themes but recognised as particular concerns
within and across the major identified themes already discussed, were firstly, the concern for
increasing responsibility for children with special needs in the regular preschool program (e.g. "I am
concerned about special needs children and the amount of time needed to be spent with them" ;
"...catering for special needs children affects your own evaluation of yourself as a teacher. Without
the definite curriculum guidelines of Primary School, curriculum content is your own responsibility.
Have I done enough to help these children?"). Secondly, the concern for the role of the preschool in
an educational system faced by major philosophical and organisational changes (e.g. "Uncertainty of
direction in which the education system is going with early childhood area - in particular `preschools').
This is likely to become an increasing stressor as many preschool teachers believe they face
devaluations of their specialisation or loss of their educational philosophy in their practices. A related
issue highlighted in the diagrams was the lack of availability of support personnel to assist teachers
during this change process.

Discussion

The research methods employed in this study allowed the teachers substantial freedom to
explain the meanings of stress from their perspectives. Keeping a journal encouraged teachers to be
aware of the sources of stress which they were experiencing. The diagrammatic representations
conveyed strong and immediate messages about the pressures teachers are feeling as a result of the
many demands impacting on their teaching role.

Having identified threatening features of their job, teachers can then try to deal with those
issues which they have some control over. The descriptions and diagrams attest to the great degree
of organisational and societal change influencing teaching roles, the multidimensional nature of stress
in teaching, and to the complexity of the phenomenon of stress wherein a wide range of factors are at
 Preschool Teacher Stress

15

work. Many of these factors are external and beyond the control of the teacher. The loss of
representation and practical support means that preschool teachers feel powerless to contest
organisational demands and constraints.

It is interesting to note that as well as confirming that common sources of stress can exist for
teachers who teach in a similar context, the identified themes seem to have a level of commonality for
teachers across contexts. Findings from other studies (Albertson & Kagan, 1987; Coles & Walker,
1989; Dewe, 1986; Finlay-Jones, 1986; Fletcher & Payne, 1982; Hargreaves, 1990; Kyriacou &
Sutcliffe, 1979; O'Connor & Clarke, 1990; Otto, 1986; Trendall, 1989) identified sources of stress such
as child behaviour problems, workload and time pressures, working conditions, relationships with
colleagues and these were identified again by the teachers in this study. It is important to note the
commonalities in the major types of stress in the experiences of preschool teachers and teachers
from primary, secondary and tertiary settings. However there are differences within these preschool
teachers' descriptions which imply that an extensive range of unique demands exist for preschool
teachers. This study has not sought to generalise beyond the experiences of these preschool
teachers and further studies could investigate whether the themes isolated here could apply to
preschool teachers in general. The outcomes of such research could be the development of policies
and practices to reduce work stress.

When examining the time factor, these preschool teachers have absolutely no time when they
are away from the children during the program. There are no specialist lessons or non-contact time
periods. Organisational changes in education have left this group of preschool teachers with a
reduced sense of control over their work practices, in spite of espoused policies in the devolution of
decision-making. There is more external control over teachers' work and teachers' time. Extensive
demands in the form of meetings, inservice and professional development, report writing and
administration tasks are presently performed out of school hours when planning and preparation
might have been usually been done. The teaching role has been extended leaving teachers with more
to fit into their already hectic working day.

The preschool philosophy values a close relationship with the home environment and with
parents. Maintaining this relationship requires much commitment from the teachers as they support
parents in their parenting role and keep them informed.

Implementing and maintaining the preschool programs and philosophy requires constant
planning and evaluation so that individual needs and development can be catered for. Presentation
of the physical environment is extremely important to these preschool teachers. Outdoor areas and
indoor areas require preparation of many activities and resources.
 Preschool Teacher Stress

16

The journals of these teachers affirm that dilemmas in current educational directions exist.
These dilemmas have implications for practice. The preschool teachers' descriptions echo concern
about how the process of integration of `special needs children' is occurring and about the limited
resources available. The concern which these teachers have for meeting these children's
developmental needs is very strong. This group of teachers feel that they do not possess adequate
knowledge about how to cater for and meet the needs of the special needs child.

A further struggle for these preschool teachers is the lack of understanding of the value and
practices of early childhood education. The social and family issues apparent in the journal entries
emphasise the interrelationships between care and education for the preschool teacher. Pressures to
implement a one campus policy between the local primary school and the preschool have uncovered
practical difficulties, such as the physical distances between schools and preschools and the different
schedules of each. These factors influence the consultation and communication processes and when
they can occur and more attention needs to be given to how the interface between preschools and
primary schools can be strengthened.

There is a need to reconsider how the day to day functioning of school programs occurs as
there is increasing complexity in the demands on teachers. Focus on the managerial and
organisational practices that school systems use is needed in order to develop practices that are
more supportive of the teaching responsibilities and this may help to alleviate the stress which
teachers are experiencing. Such analysis needs to be based on up to date information (Kyriacou,
1987).

Further qualitative research efforts which investigate the teacher's perspective on work in a
variety of educational settings (e.g., child care, preschool, infant grades.) is necessary, particularly
during times of social and educational change. Research of this nature with comparative groups of
teachers should provide excellent opportunities to understand how support can be provided.
Research could focus on how individual teachers attempt to manage and reduce stress and adapt to
change, and on the influences of organisational and societal factors on teaching. Issues such as
education and care and the changing nature of families could be addressed. Such studies could
make a useful contribution to the development of pre-service courses for preschool teachers,
providing an understanding of teacher stress and to the consideration of how best to reduce the levels
of teacher stress in educational settings.
 Preschool Teacher Stress

17

References

Ashby, G. (1972). Preschool Theories and Strategies. Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press.
Ashby, G.F. (1980). Preschool Education in Queensland, Australia. In L.G. Katz. (Ed.) Current
Topics in Early Childhood Education. New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Corporation.
Australian Schools Commission. (1973). Schools in Australia: Report of the Interim committee
for the Australian Schools Commission. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. (The
Karmel Report).
Albertson, L.M. & Kagan, D.M. (1987). Occupational stress among teachers. Journal of Research
and Development in Education, 21, 69-77.
Bailey, J.G., Berrell, M.M., & Gibson, I.W. (1991). Springboards to Change : From Policy to
Practice. Brisbane: Ministerial consultative Council on Curriculum.
Biber, B., Shapiro, E., & Wickens, D. (1971). Promoting Cognitive Growth. A Developmental-
Interaction Point of View. Washington: N..A..E.Y.C.
Blase, J.J. (1986). A qualitative analysis of sources of teacher stress: Consequences for
performance. American Educational Research Journal, 23, 13-40.
Bogdan, R.C. & Biklen, S.K. (1982). Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to
Theory and Methods. Toronto: Allyn and Bacon.
Borg, M.G. (1990). Occupational stress in British educational settings: A review. Educational
Psychology, 10, 103-126.
Borg, M.G., Riding, R.J. & Falzon, J.M. (1991). Stress in teaching: A study of occupational
stress and its determinants, job satisfaction and career commitment among primary
school teachers. Educational Psychology,11, 59-75.
Brissie, J.S., Hoover-Dempsey, K.V. & Bassler, O.C. (1988). Individual, situational contributors to
teacher burnout. Journal of Educational Research, 82, 106-112.
Burns, R.B. (1990). Introduction to research methods in education. Melbourne: Longman
Cheshire.
Byrne, B.M. (1991). Burnout: Investigating the impact of background variables for elementary,
intermediate, secondary, and university educators. Teaching and Teacher Education, 7,
197-209.
Capel, S.A. (1991). A longitudinal study of burnout in teachers. British Journal of Educational
Psychology, 61, 36-45.
Coles, M. & Walker, S. (Eds.) (1989). Teaching and Stress. Milton Keynes: Open University
Press.
Department of Education Queensland. (1990). Focus on Schools: The Future Organisation of
Educational Services for Students. Brisbane: The Department of Education.
 Preschool Teacher Stress

18

Dewe, P.J. (1986). An investigation into the causes and consequences of teacher stress. New
Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 21, 145-157.
Duncan, C.W. (1980). Coping with stress. Day Care and Early Education, 7, 18-21.
Dworkin, A.G., Haney, C.A., Dworkin, R.J. & Telschow, R.L. (1990). Stress and illness behaviour
among urban public school teachers. Educational Administration Quarterly, 26, 60-72.
Elbow, P. (1986). Embracing contraries: Explorations in teaching and learning. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Esteve, J. (1989). Teacher burnout and teacher stress. In M. Coles, and S. Walker. (Eds.).
Teaching and Stress. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
Esteve, J.M. & Fracchia. (1986). Inoculation against stress: A technique for beginning teachers.
European Journal of Teacher Education, 9, 261-269.
Fimian, M.J. (1987). Teacher stress: An expert appraisal. Psychology in the Schools, 24, 5- 14.
Finlay-Jones, R. (1986). Factors in the teaching environment associated with severe
psychological distress among school teachers. Australian and New Zealand Journal of
Psychiatry, 20, 304-313.
Fletcher, B.C. (1991). Work, Stress,Disease and Life Expectancy. New York: John Wiley and
Sons.
Fletcher, B.C. & Payne, R.L. (1982). Levels of reported stressors and strains amongst
schoolteachers: Some UK data. Educational Review, 34, 267-278.
Gifford, J. (1992). A Stitch in Time: Strengthening the First Years of School, Project Paper
No.3. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
Halliwell, G. (1977). An interactional model for early childhood education. Queensland: Department
of Education.
Hargreaves, A. (1990). Teachers' work and the politics of time and space. Qualitative Studies in
Education, 3, 303-320.
Hohmann, M., Banet, B., & Weikart, D. (1979). Young children in action: A manual for preschool
educators. Michigan: High/Scope Press.
Kaiser, J.S. & Polczynski, J.J. (1982). Educational stress: Sources, reactions, preventions. Peabody
Journal of Education, 10, 127-134.
Kinnunen, U. (1989). Teacher Stress over a School Year. Finland: University of Jyvaskyla.
Kohlberg, L. & Mayer, R. (1972). Development as the aim of education. Harvard Education Review,
42, 449-496.
Kyriacou, C. (1987). Teacher stress and burnout: An international review. Educational
Research,29, 146-152.
Kyriacou,C. & Sutcliffe, J. (1979). Teacher stress and satisfaction. Educational Research, 21, 89-
96.
 Preschool Teacher Stress

19

Malik, J.L., Mueller, R.O. & Meinke, D.L. (1991). The effects of teaching experience and grade
level taught on teacher stress: A Lisrel analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education, 7, 57- 62.
McMurdo, G. (1993). The self-managing school: Devolution for empowerment or subjugation?
Queensland Teachers' Union Professional Magazine, 11, 1-5.
O'Connor, P.R. & Clarke, V.A. (1990). Determinants of teacher stress. Australian Journal of
Education, 34, 41-51.
Otto, R. (1986). Teachers under Stress: Health Hazards in a Work Role and Modes of Response.
Melbourne: Hill of Content.
Pines, A. & Maslach, C. (1980). Combating staff burn-out in a day care center: A Case Study.
Child Care Quarterly, 9, 5-16.
Sarros, A.M. & Sarros, J.C. (1990). How burned out are our teachers? A cross-cultural study.
Australian Journal of Education, 34, 145-152.
Schonfeld, I.S. (1992). A longitudinal study of occupational stressors and depressive symptoms
in first-year female teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 8, 151-158.
Schwab, R.L. & Iwanicki, E.F. (1982). Perceived role conflict, role ambiguity, and teacher
burnout. Educational Administration Quarterly, 18, 60-74.
Schwab, R.L., Jackson, S.E. & Schuler, R.S. (1986). Educator burnout: Sources and
consequences. Educational Research Quarterly, 10, 14-30.
Smith, M. & Bourke, S. (1992). Teacher stress: Examining a model based on context, workload,
and satisfaction. Teaching and Teacher Education, 8, 31-46.
Tokar, E. & Feitler, F.C. (1986). A comparative study of teacher stress in American and British
middle schools. Journal of Early Adolescence, 6, 77-82.
Trendall, C. (1989). Stress in teaching and teacher effectiveness: a study of teachers across
mainstream and special education. Educational Research, 31, 52-58.
Westwood, P. (1991). A shrinking service (editorial). Australian Journal of Remedial Education,
23, 1.
Woods, P. (1986). Inside Schools: Ethnography in Educational Research. London: Routledge and
Kegan Paul.
Working Party on Teacher Education. (1990). Teacher Education in Australia: Final Advice to the
Australian Education Council. Canberra: Australian Education Council. (The Ebbeck Report).
View publication stats