Predicting Teacher Anxiety, Depression, and Job Satisfaction

This study investigates predictors of anxiety, depression, and job satisfaction in teachers in northern Ontario. Using data from self-report questionnaires, factor analysis and multiple linear regression were performed to determine which sources of stress predict stress-related symptoms among teachers and to explore job satisfaction as predicted by: stress, depression, anxiety, years of teaching experience, gender, grade level assignment and position (part-time vs. full-time). The results indicate that workload and student behaviour were significant predictors of depression in teachers in the study. Workload, student behaviour, and employment conditions were significant predictors of anxiety. In addition, stress and depression had a significant and negative impact on job satisfaction. Years of teaching experience was a significant and positive predictor of job satisfaction. Anxiety, gender, grade level, and position were not statistically significant predictors of teacher job satisfaction. Therefore, efforts made to improve workload, student behavior, and employment conditions may lead to reduced stress among teachers and thus lower levels of depression and anxiety. These results may provide guidance for teachers and administrators, as well as inform teacher retention efforts and attempts to improve teacher job satisfaction. Kyriacou (2001) defines teacher stress as “the experience by a teacher of unpleasant, negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, tension, frustration or depression, resulting from some aspect of their work as a teacher” (p. 28). Teacher stress appears to be prevalent in the teaching profession. In their pivotal study, Kyriacou and Sutcliffe (1978) found that approximately 20% of comprehensive school teachers in England found teaching to be very stressful or extremely stressful. Borg and Riding (1991) found even higher results in the stress levels of Maltese teachers, with almost 34% of Maltese teachers rating their jobs as either very stressful or extremely stressful. A study of New Zealand intermediate teachers by Manthei and Gilmore (1996) found that just over 26% of teachers felt that teaching was either very or extremely stressful. Predicting Teacher Anxiety, Depression, and Job Satisfaction 28 Canadian teachers are also experiencing high levels of stress. According to the Canadian Teacher’s Federation (2001), six in ten teachers surveyed find that their job is more stressful now than it was two years ago. The 2006 Ontario College of Teachers annual survey, entitled The State of the Teaching Profession, found Ontario teachers are experiencing high levels of stress, with 13% of teachers indicating that they feel stressed all the time, compared to only 7% of workers in the general public (Jamieson, 2006). The Ontario College of Teachers also surveyed education graduates of the year 2001 and found that the second highest reason for teachers leaving the profession was because working conditions were too stressful (McIntyre, 2006). Some researchers have investigated how physical and emotional symptoms of stress are related to teacher stress. Kyriacou and Sutcliffe (1978), for example, found a positive correlation among 17 symptoms of stress and self-reported teacher stress. The highest correlation (r) was between the symptom of frustration and teacher stress, having a correlation coefficient of r = .610. Other very high correlations found by Kyriacou and Sutcliffe existed between teacher stress and feeling very tense (r = .600) and exhaustion (r = .525). Manthei and Gilmore (1996) also found that 31.4% of teachers indicated a high to severe level of disturbance in regard to their general health. While Manthei and Gilmore do not correlate these disturbances with teacher stress, they imply that “the score indicates a level of anxiety and tension” (p. 16). While Kyriacou and Sutcliffe and Manthei and Gilmore’s work explores teacher stress and its relationship to possible manifested symptoms of teacher stress, a review of the literature, however, provides scant data about factors that cause teacher stress as predictors of anxiety or depression. Studies of occupational stress in other fields do reveal some research into stress predictors of depression. Baba, Galperin, and Lituchy (1999), for example, found that burnout is a predictor of depression among nurses in the Caribbean. Revicki, Gallery, Whitley, and Allison(1993) found that work-related stress is a significant predictor of depression in second-year emergency medicine residents. There appears, however, to be little research published about stress factors that may predict anxiety. According to the Ontario College of Teachers, “there are growing signs of unease in the profession” (Browne, 2007, p. 55). The Ontario College of Teacher’s annual “State of the Teaching Profession” phone survey, which contacted more than one thousand teachers, found that “only 78 per cent are happy with the job they are doing, while 70% are satisfied with their school and 73 per cent are satisfied with the profession as a whole” (Browne, p. 55). According to the College, this is a significant change from the results of the 2006 annual survey (Browne, Ibid.). In the report on the annual survey in the Ontario College of Teacher’s magazine, Professionally Speaking, Browne discusses some possible reasons for this change in teachers’ job satisfaction. Browne speculates that the higher satisfaction rates in 2006 may indicate an era of peace that was created by an earlier change in provincial government that resulted in higher salaries and more resources (Ibid.). Browne also notes that the decrease in job satisfaction in 2007 may also reflect the change in demographics in the teaching profession since there are many young teachers and the first few years of teaching may have a sharp learning curve (Ibid.). Kristen Ferguson, Lorraine Frost, and David Hall 29 A review of the literature reveals an abundance of research that investigates relationships between certain job factors and teacher job satisfaction. For example, one focus of research in teacher job satisfaction has been on a principal’s leadership style and school climate (Evans & Johnson, 1990; Littrell, 1994; Taylor & Tashakkori, 1995). The literature, however, is limited in the area of predictors of teacher job satisfaction. One study which does examine predictors of teacher job satisfaction is the research by DeFrank and Stroup (1989). DeFrank and Stoup surveyed teachers in a school district in Texas and found that job stress was the strongest predictor of teacher job satisfaction. A more recent study which investigates predictors of job satisfaction was the work of Kim and Loadman (1994). Kim and Loadman surveyed practicing classroom teachers selected from the graduation lists from ten universities in the United States; 2054 teachers completed the survey. Kim and Loadman found seven statistically significant predictors of teacher job satisfaction, including salary, opportunities for advancement, professional challenge, professional autonomy, working conditions, interaction with colleagues and interactions with students. In other occupations, research has also been undertaken to investigate predictors of job satisfaction. In nursing, for example, predictors of job satisfaction include stress (Flanagan, 2006; Rout, 2000), perceived relations with co-workers (Decker, 1997), social support from the supervisor, reward, and control over work (Gelsema et al., 2006). Thus, while there has been some research conducted in the area of predictors of teacher job satisfaction, clearly more research, particularly with Canadian teachers, is needed. Teacher job satisfaction may be a critical component for teacher retention in Ontario. The Ontario College of Teachers reports that in 2005, 8% of 2001 teacher-education graduates were no longer members of the College (McIntyre, 2006). These participants were separated into two groups: those who intend to return to the teaching profession and those who have left. The response to the survey item “satisfaction with teaching experience” differed significantly between the two groups: the mean score for those who have left the profession on this item was 2.54 and the mean for those who intend to return to the profession was 3.62 (“1= strong dissatisfaction or low support, 5 =strong satisfaction or high support,” McIntyre, p. 49). According to the report, for those that have left the profession, “teaching appears to have been a negative experience for them” (McIntyre, p. 50). The purpose of our research was twofold. First, we sought to identify which occupational stress factors predict teacher anxiety and depression. Second, we wanted to identify significant predictors of teacher job satisfaction. We believe our research is unique because most research on teacher stress examines levels of stress, stress factors, and symptoms of stress, but does not examine the relationship among these factors so that statements about predictors of teacher anxiety and depression can be made. We also feel that our research into the predictors of job satisfaction of northern Ontario teachers is important as it contributes to the dearth of research on this topic in Canada. Theoretical Framework We approached this study on stress using the theory of psychological distress. A life without stress is not plausible or desirable. In reasonable doses, stress is a Predicting Teacher Anxiety, Depression, and Job Satisfaction 30 motivator and may enhance work performance (Selye, 1976). On the other hand, in unreasonable amounts, stress can become distress (Cedoline, 1982). Psychological distress is defined as a negative event over which a person has no control (Mirowsky & Ross, 2003). Teachers encounter many potentially negative events in their everyday professional lives over which they have little or no control or power. Students’ behaviours and lives outside of school, school board and government initiatives, job security, and promotion are just a few examples of situations over which teachers may have little or no control. Thus, negative events over which teachers have little or no control may create distress. According to Mirowsky and Ross, psychological distress takes two forms: depression and anxiety. Also framing our study is Herzberg’s theory of motivation to work (Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman, 1959). Following this theory, certain factors are motivating forces that enhance job satisfaction; other factors (called hygiene factors) may cause teachers to be unsatisfied with their jobs. Motivation factors, which lead to job satisfaction include achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and the opportunity for growth. Hygiene factors, which lead to dissatisfaction if not addressed, include supervision, interpersonal relations, salary, and company policies. The removal of a dissatisfying factor, however, will not necessarily provide satisfaction in and of itself; and, conversely, when job satisfaction increases, dissatisfaction will be unaffected. Nias (1981) tested Herzberg’s theory of job satisfaction on a sample of 100 teachers and found that the Herzberg’s theory of motivation and hygiene factors to be true with the results of her study of teacher job satisfaction. We believe, therefore, that for teachers to be satisfied with their jobs hygiene factors must be addressed and also that motivation factors must be present.