JOB STRESS AS CORRELATES OF PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ JOB PERFORMANCE IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELLING

Abstract

This study examined job stress as correlates of private secondary school teachers’ job performance in Rivers State. The study adopted correlational research design. Three (3) research questions and three (3) hypotheses guided the study. The population comprised all private secondary school teachers from the 625 registered private secondary schools. The population was 132,303 teachers. The sample comprised 450 teachers selected through stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The researcher developed two instruments titled “Teachers’ Job Stress Inventory” (TJSI) and “Teachers’ Job Performance Inventory” (TJPI) for data collection.The instruments were validated and tested for reliability, with a reliability indices of TJSI (α=0.78) and TJPI (α=0.89) determined through the Cronbach Alpha method. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to answer all the research questions. Also, Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test all the hypotheses. The results of the analysis were tested for statistical significance at 0.5 alpha level. The data analyzed showed that there was a positive weak insignificant correlation between work overload and job performance of private secondary school teachers, there was a negative insignificant relationship between poor conditions of service and job performance of private secondary school teachers, and there was a positive weak insignificant correlation between family problems and job performance of private secondary school teachers in Rivers State. Based on the findings, the researcher made some appropriate recommendations such as private school proprietors should adopt strategies that would reduce teachers’ workloads and improve conditions of service that will promote higher job performance