Teaching-Related Stress: The Emotional Management of Faculty

Abstract

The work of faculty is stressful, yet most stress studies focus on faculty's research rather than teaching. This study examined the experience of nine tenured professors in search of answers to these questions: What classroom interactions do faculty find stressful? Why do faculty find these activities stressful? How do faculty explain, perform, and organize classroom practices to cope with these stresses?

Examining the Factors Impacting Academics’ Psychological Well-Being: A Review of Research

“…As job demands compromise psychological well-being among academics, it may be advisable that university administrators implement changes to policy and organizational conditions to address the issue of excessive job demands as well as enhance job resources to address the psychological and physical costs of impaired psychological health in faculty. As indicated by repeated calls by researchers in this domain (Gates, 2000;Kataoka et al, 2014;Regan et al, 2012;Zhang & Zhu, 2008), these findings similarly warrant further administrative consideration as to whether or not academics are indeed being equipped with effective strategies to combat stress. In this respect, related initiatives to develop and implement cost-effective interventions to promote academics' coping resources are needed to attenuate the adverse impact of faculty stress and negative emotions; proactive efforts to prevent damages to psychological health, as opposed to reactionary programs.…”

“…Firstly, although interactions with students represent an integral aspect of the academic profession, they are often reported to be distressing and frustrating to faculty (Frisby et al, 2015;Lahtinen, 2008). Academics consequently report feelings of anger, irritation, disappointment, discouragement, exacerbation, frustration, annoyance, and insecurity in relation to students who are disengaged or disruptive, as well as interpersonal conflict (i.e., when students' and teachers attitudes do not match; Gates, 2000;Hagenauer & Volet, 2014). Given that negative interactions with students (i.e., student dissent) are a likely predictor of burnout among university teachers (Frisby et al, 2015), these relations could explain why conflictual student-instructor interactions correspond to negative psychological outcomes in faculty.…”

“…For example, the unpredictable and uncertain aspects of post-secondary instruction, such as interactions with students or gauging comprehension in the absence of sufficient student feedback, have been reported to be distressing and frustrating in a sample of Finnish university teachers (Lahtinen, 2008) and linked to anger, anxiety, and disappointment among U.S. faculty (Gates, 2000). In a more recent study, university teachers reported feelings of insecurity in relation to teaching and marking assignments (Hagenauer & Volet, 2014).…”

The Roles and Challenges of Deans

“…When a dean experiences these reactions, he/she may engage in adjustive and/or maladjustive coping behaviors, such as emotional management strategies, attempting to solve problems by 5 avoiding the stress, or using defense mechanisms that distort reality (Gates, 2000;Kahn, et al, 1964;Rizzo, et al, 1970).…”

Stress among Greek and Cypriot university administrators: an exploratory study

“…As a result, there is now significant concern in the literature that university and college administrators have come to experience high levels of role ambiguity, conflict, stress, and other negative influences (see, for example, Australian Council of Trade Unions, 1997;Caplan et al, 2002;Gates, 2000;Kinman, 1998;National Tertiary Education Union, 2000;Wolverton et al, 1999). Furthermore, the accumulating evidence indicates that workers' health in general is increasingly at risk (e.g.…”