Stress, Coping Strategies and Job Satisfaction of Primary School Teachers throughout the Ofsted Inspection

Drake, April (2014) Stress, Coping Strategies and Job Satisfaction of Primary School Teachers throughout the Ofsted Inspection. Manchester Metropolitan University. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Research suggests that inspections by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) may cause stress among primary school teachers (Chaplain, 2001). Studies show that both coping skills and job satisfaction affect the stress experienced during an inspection. This study aimed to explore the associations between these variables and to examine which of them best predict teachers' inspection-related stress. Data was collected from 90 primary school teachers by online self-report questionnaires. Factor Analysis divided stress into job stress and role ambiguity, and divided coping skills into positive and negative coping skills. Job satisfaction was negatively correlated with job stress and role ambiguity, but positively correlated with positive coping skills. Role ambiguity was directly correlated with negative coping skills and negatively correlated with positive coping skills. Negative coping skills and job satisfaction were the better predictor of role ambiguity F(2,84) = 18.73, p <.001. Surprisingly positive coping skills and role ambiguity were predictors of job satisfaction F(2,85)=18.63 p<.001 This study shows the importance of negative coping skills and job satisfaction when assessing stress of Ofsted. Furthermore, both positive coping skills and role ambiguity should be acknowledged when looking at job satisfaction of primary school teachers.