Abstract:
There is much published research about teachers' organisational stress but relatively
little about the effect of the coping resources brought to bear to counter or reduce the
effects of occupational stress. This study examines two major issues: which personal
resource variables most frugally predict various measures of vocational teacher strain,
and secondly, whether gender and age differences have a moderating effect on the
significance, contribution and relationship between these variables. The stress, strain
and personal resource strengths of a group of 256 vocational teachers were examined.
The teachers completed the standardised Occupational Stress Inventory (OSI), which
enables measures of organisational stress, strain and coping resource strength. Subgroups
were formed on the basis of gender and age and the resultant sample data
examined. The results showed a significant negative relationship between some of the
personal resource sub-scale measures of the OSI and some measures of occupational
strain. The nature of the relationship, however, differed considerably, both qualitatively
and quantitatively, depending on gender, age and each particular measure of strain. The
outcome indicates that both gender and age play a moderating role in the relationship
between the efficacy of personal resources and teacher strain. The results have
implications for how stress is handled in the workplace.
