Balancing Wellness And Leadership: Exploring Black Women Administrators’ Subjective Well-Being, Resilience, And Radical Self-Care In Higher Education, Lashae Grottis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leaders in higher education experience high and unrealistic demands for their skills, time, and energy, causing stress, competing priorities, burnout, compromised health, and attrition. However, unlike other racial and gender groups, Black women higher education administrators experienced these challenges more intensely. As a result of chronic stress associated with being undervalued and overworked, discriminatory and unwelcoming workplaces, and intersectional biases, Black women leaders are leaving higher education workplaces. Despite the link between gendered racism and unwellness, little is known about the problem from a positive leadership perspective. This study addressed the lack of knowledge of the wellness strategies Black women …

A Qualitative Study Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions Concerning Involvement In Professional Organizations And The Decision To Remain In The Profession, Cynthia D. Villalovos Ed.D.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Teacher retention was a grave situation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that has since become a global epidemic. Losing early career educators has had a cost that hinders the U.S. public school system. There have been previous studies detailing the plight of teacher retention throughout the years indicating the causes of teacher attrition. Each study gave examples of the detrimental costs of teacher retention from the perspective of the school district. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis study was to explore the perceptive phenomenon of teachers’ involvement activities in professional organizations and the decision to remain in the …

Workplace Factors That Contribute To Teacher Intent To Leave The Profession, Teresa Blount Gibbons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is a nationwide shortage of qualified teachers, with 90% of all teacher shortages caused by teacher attrition (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2019). This study surveyed public school K-12 teachers in South Carolina to gain an understanding of workplace factors that contribute to teacher intentions to quit/ teacher attrition. The current design measures teacher stress perceptions of workplace factors as the relational theoretical lens to determine teacher intention to leave or likelihood of attrition. The results of a study suggest that student stressors and workload are the most important factors in teacher attrition. A qualitative analysis of student stressors found that …

Addressing Stress In Graduate Nurse Practitioner Nursing Students, Shandria K. Sawyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project was developed to address the issue of high stress levels among graduate nursing students, which is a common phenomenon that increases the risks of mental health disorders, professional burnout, and poor-quality patient care among students and professional nurses after earning their degrees. This project sought to utilize a simple educational intervention delivered online to impart coping skills to graduate nursing students to assist them in reducing their stress levels. The intervention was a brief, single-session, self-guided educational module featuring informational and participative elements related to stress causes, the impacts of stress, and stress reduction techniques. In total, 11 …

Multivariate Cluster Analysis Of The Teacher Stress Inventory (Tsi) Prior To And During Covid-19, Berenice Saez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a negative situation with no precedents in the education system of the United States (U.S.). To mitigate the spread of the virus, many school closures occurred nationwide, and schools transitioned from face-to-face instruction to a mixture of self-directed guide home education or online teaching. These drastic changes could be causing teachers, as many other professionals exposed to sudden adjustments (e.g., medical doctors/firefighters), to express high levels of stress, emotional burden, and anxiety. The purpose of this study is to compare the profiles of the teacher stress inventory (TSI) before and during COVID-19. …

Teaching With Passion And Compassion In Challenging Times: A Narrative Inquiry Into Elementary Teachers' Experiences In Georgia, Erin Scroggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores how teachers maintain their passion and compassion for teaching in spite of the impact of work-related challenges and subsequent obstacles upon their personal and professional lives. While much research has been conducted into teacher stress, very little has been done to connect the effects of stress on teachers’ health and passions for teaching. Abby, Nick, Passion, and Anna, four elementary school teachers from different areas, counties, schools, and school districts in the State of Georgia, participated in the study. Theoretically, I draw upon an array of works such as teaching towards freedom (Ayers, 2004, 2010, 2016), teachers …

Dying For Change: The Impact Of Awareness Prevention And Intervention On Graduate Assistant Stress, Marla Bruner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As challenges surrounding mental health and well-being in doctoral graduate students (GAs), continue to rise, it is imperative that higher education institutions evaluate the stressors that GAs experience, their awareness and use of campus resources for dealing with stressors, and the impact that additional resources and programming may have on stress. The research questions for this study sought to examine the stressors experienced by doctoral level graduate students working in GA positions and their corresponding awareness and use of campus resources, and to determine what impact, if any, providing additional services, resources, and programming in had after a three-year implementation …

Lowering Perceived Stress Levels In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Caitlin Dodd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project analyzed the effects of guided meditations and a stress management class on undergraduate, prelicensure nursing students’ perceived stress levels. College students and professional nurses are both susceptible to having high stress levels. Mindfulness activities have been shown to lower stress levels. Undergraduate, prelicensure nursing students participated in this project determining the effects of guided meditations and a stress management class on perceived stress levels in a quantitative, pre- and postinterventional study. Participants in the project completed a stress management class and 18 guided meditation sessions in an undergraduate classroom setting. The researcher used the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) …

Increased Access To Information Communication Technologies And Work-Life Balance With K-12 Leaders, Carolyn D. Washington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study describes the lived experiences of kindergarten through 12th-grade leaders (K-12) relative to the increased accessibility of information communication technology (ICT) and work-life balance (WLB). Technology has evolved and become more accessible in the 21st century in individuals’ personal and professional lives. Research has shown the impact of ICT in other high demanding professions, with little research available relative to the impact with K-12 leaders. However, the role of the K-12 leader is likewise considered highly demanding with extended work hours. The K-12 leader is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the principalship, being available after hours for …

Photographs In My Mind, Through Darkness And In Light: An Auto-Criticism Of A University Teacher, Melanie Renee Witt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an auto-criticism, a new qualitative inquiry founded in educational criticism and arts-based research, which describes and analyzes my lived experience as a female university teacher. The purpose of this study is to describe, interpret, evaluate and thematize my experiences with professional stress, pregnancy loss, and self-care. Secondly, it illuminates auto-criticism as a methodology with potential contributions to qualitative research and higher education.

Personal documents, internal artifacts, and external artifacts generated during a challenging period of my life as a university teacher are used as data. Language and photography combine to story my lived experiences and findings.

This …

A Qualitative Study Of The Effects Of Teacher-Coach Role Conflict, James Guinn Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study was how the multiple responsibilities of being a teacher and a coach create role conflict for individuals in the teacher-coach (TC) profession. This role conflict causes burnout, exhaustion, and turnover among teacher/coaches. Resolving this problem is critical due to the amount of influence teacher/coaches have upon their student-athletes. The purpose of this study was to identify causes of teacher-coach role conflict and to identify possible solutions to the problem. Research was conducted through qualitative interviews with active male Texas high school football teacher-coaches in order to address the conflicting literature regarding the workability …

The Moderating Effects Of Positive Religious/Spiritual Coping On Teachers’ Pain And Stress, Dawn Green

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this internet-based survey was to investigate the effects of positive religious or spiritual coping strategies on teachers’ chronic pain reports. Teachers in the United States may represent a vulnerable group due to a high prevalence of risk factors for chronic pain conditions. Teachers have been identified to experience high stress (Johnson, et al., 2005; Kyriacou, 2001) and report poor job satisfaction (Wang, Hall, & Rahimi, 2015), which are associated with development of chronic pain conditions (Kopec & Sayre, 2004). Religious coping strategies have been associated with beneficial associations with stress and health (Reutter & Bigatti, 2014). The …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Novice And Veteran Elementary Teachers Levels Of Stress And Attitudes Toward Their Profession, Melissa Stukes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to evaluate the perceptions of novice and veteran teachers’ level of stress and their attitudes toward their profession. Stress may be caused by many different factors. Work related stress is common amongst many people in the work force. In education stress is endured, in some cases on a daily basis. There are many demands put on teachers to ensure student learning. These demands can cause an overwhelming amount of stress for teachers. This stress can have a positive or negative impact on teachers’ attitude toward their profession.

The qualitative research method is the method that was …

Effects Of Information Communication Technology Connectedness On The Stress Levels On Student Affairs Professionals, Joshua Coulter Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Stress Levels In Tenure-Track And Recently Tenured Faculty Members In Selected Institutions Of Higher Education In Northeast Tennessee, Amanda R. Carr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare the stress, strain, and coping levels between pretenured faculty and recently tenured faculty in institutions of higher education in Northeast Tennessee. Aging faculty population combined with talented people leaving the area is common in rural parts of the United States. There is a need to better understand the occupational factors within the faculty roles in order to better recruit and retain faculty in this region.

Four different institutions of higher education in Northeast Tennessee, producing 92 responses, participated in this study. The Occupational Stress Inventory – Revised (Osipow, 1998) was used …

The Effect Of Jyoti Meditation On Student Counselor Emotional Intelligence, Stress, And Daily Spiritual Experiences, Daniel Gutierrez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found meditation to be effective in reducing practitioner stress, improving emotional functioning, and increasing pro-social emotions, such as empathy and compassion. In addition, research examining the effects of meditation on student counselors has shown that it increases counselor self-efficacy, reduces distress, and increases cognitive empathy. Therefore, it behooves counselor educators to discover methods of integrating meditation into counselor training. The meditation practice investigated in the current study is new to the counseling and psychology literature. The majority of the current research has examined transcendental and mindfulness-based practices. However, recent research has shown that spirituality has the ability …

Teaching Experience And Perceived Challenges For School Administrators Regarding Job Stress, Respect, Student Achievement, Assessment & Evaluation, And Professional Development, Erika H. Bradley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate whether an administrators’ professional teaching background and years of administrative experience influence their perceptions of the opportunities and challenges they face guiding the improvement of teaching and learning. Specifically this research analyzed administrators’ perceptions of level of stress, respect among colleagues and school community, professional development, student achievement, and assessment and evaluation. Participants in this study consisted of Tennessee and North Carolina principals, assistant principals, and associate principals within a 60 mile radius of the East Tennessee State University campus. Data were collected through an online survey system, Survey Monkey. The …

The Relationship Between Married Partners' Individual And Relationship Distress: An Actor-Partner Analysis Of Low-Income, Racially And Ethnically Diverse Couples In Relationship Education, Matthew D. Munyon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Couples experiencing relationship distress often require professional help, such as counseling and couple and relationship education (CRE). Research recently discovered that among couples in counseling, a circular relationship exists between individual and relationship distress-stress begets stress. Until this study, a similar examination had not been conducted among couples selecting CRE. This study examined the relationship between individual and relationship distress among married couples that had children, were from predominantly low-income and racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, and selected CRE. A correlational research design was employed and framed in the social interdependence theory. The actor-partner interdependence model was conducted within a …

Workplace Pressures Of Pk-8 Teachers In A Midwestern Archdiocese, Carrie O'Donnell Brink

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this research study was to determine the types of workplace pressures that PK-8 teachers, in a Midwestern Archdiocese, experience. Two hundred eighty teachers participated in the survey. Results from this study indicate that PK-8 teachers express elevated levels of stress in the following areas: income/salary, amount of hours spent outside contract hours on instructional tasks, paperwork required, student behavior/discipline, and implementation of new curricula.

Statistical differences were found in the following areas: female and male stress levels with regard to income; school locale (suburban, urban, and rural) income stress levels; school locale (suburban, urban, and rural) implementation …

Needed Supports Of Middle Grade Teachers In Georgia During Times Of Stress And Burnout, Kania Greer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding what teachers need to help them relieve occupational stress can help administrators effectively combat teacher burnout. With the multiple roles teachers play, it is easy to see how role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload increase the chances that a teacher will suffer from occupational related stress and subsequent burnout. If left unalleviated, teachers may begin to feel emotionally exhausted, detached from their colleagues, and lack feelings of personal accomplishment which can lead to burnout. The purpose of this study was to ascertain what teachers would like to see administrators do to help them combat the day-to-day stresses of …

Cortisol Reactivity Across The Day At Child Care: Examining The Contributions Of Child Temperament And Attachment To Mother And Lead Teacher, Lisa S. Badanes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous work has shown that full-day center-based child care is associated with increased physiologic stress for many young children (e.g., Tout, de Haan, Campbell, & Gunnar, 1998; Watamura, Sebanc, & Gunnar, 2002). Specifically, increasing cortisol from morning to afternoon at full-day child care in contrast to decreasing cortisol across the day for these same children at home has been repeatedly demonstrated for toddlers and preschoolers. Factors that have been related to rising cortisol across the day at child care include the child's age (rising cortisol at child care between 2 and 5 years, but not for infants or older children, …

Does Culture Matter? : Exploring The Relationships Among Parenting A Child With Disabilities, Cultural Identification, And Stress In A Group Of European American And Immigrant Latino Families, Ximena P. Suarez-Sousa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this correlational exploratory study was to delve into the experience of raising a child with disabilities by investigating the parents' level of stress and the role played by culture, acculturation, and various demographic variables suggested by the literature to influence stress were included. A purposive sample composed of 38 primarily undocumented immigrant Latino parents and 32 European American parents of children with disabilities was recruited from community agencies in a Midwest state. The most frequent disabilities were orthopedic impairments, pervasive developmental disorders, and mental retardation.

Data were collected with the Parent Survey, comprised of the Questionnaire on …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of New And Veteran Elementary School Teachers Regarding Stress Factors That Impact Their Careers., Kristi Lynn Christopher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to identify some of the key stressors novice and veteran teachers face and to determine if there are any particular steps that administrators of the school systems can take to ensure the success of all teachers. The qualitative research method was used in this study. An interview guide was developed and used during the interview process. Eighteen teachers, nine new teachers and nine veteran teachers all with general education classroom experience participated in the research. The interviews were taped and transcribed verbatim, and then analyzed to develop themes.

Themes emerged regarding issues that teachers …

The Relationship Of Stress Levels To Wellness Practices Among Community College Presidents., Eva Charlotte Ratliff Dawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the variety and level of wellness practices of community college presidents and the relationship of these practices to the stress levels of this group. Additionally, relaxation activities and the feelings, characteristics, and symptoms associated with stress were considered. Items measuring each of these variables, isolated from the literature and tested in a pilot sample, were combined into an electronic instrument, Stress Levels and Wellness Practices Measurement for Community College Presidents.

The design of the study was ex post facto/correlational. The population of the study was American community college presidents. A stratified …

Retention And Motivation Of Veteran Teachers., Edith Anderson Edwards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The workforce in the United States is aging. Teachers, like all other workers in the country, are also aging. The veteran teachers in our nation's public schools possess wisdom gained through their on-the-job experience. With looming teacher shortages in our public schools, it is imperative that we retain this wisdom. Administrators, school boards, and the community have an obligation to tap this wisdom for the benefit of children. This study was conducted, therefore, with the purpose of learning how to do that.

The data were collected through the process of one-on-one interviews with 21 veteran teachers in Knox County, Tennessee. …

Factors Of Job-Related Stress As Perceived By Middle School Principals In Virginia, Teresa I. Snyder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted among middle school principals in Virginia to determine their perceptions of job-related stress factors. The entire population of middle school principals (grades 6, 7, 8) was selected to participate in the study. The Administrative Stress Index was used to assess factors that cause principals stress on the job and to measure their stress levels. A demographic data form was used to collect data on the variables of age, gender, administrative experience, assistant principal support, student enrollment, adults supervised, percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch, location of school, type of school, experience as a middle …

Occupational Stress Among Nurse Administrators In General Hospitals In Tennessee, Ruby T. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of occupational stress among nurse administrators and to identify the types of strategies used by nurse administrators to deal with or manage occupational stress. The study examined the relationship between selected demographic variables, occupational stress, and strategies. The research design included five research questions along with seven null hypotheses testing the relationship between occupational stress and demographic variables--age, gender, marital status, years of professional nursing experience, years as a nurse administrator, educational attainment, and hospital bed capacity. There were seven additional hypotheses testing the relationship between the same demographic variables …