Date of Award

Spring 5-2012

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Chair

Rose McNeese

Committee Chair Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 2

James T. Johnson

Committee Member 3

David E. Lee

Committee Member 3 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 4

Ronald Styron

Committee Member 4 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between high-stakes tests and stress with secondary teachers. Furthermore, this study investigated whether veteran teachers experience more stress than novice teachers and whether or not self efficacy, gender, accountability status, and years of experience influence teacher stress as it relates to high-stakes testing. This contributed to the existing literature that relates to teacher stress and high-stakes testing.

The participants for the study included Mississippi public coastal secondary school teachers who have administered the Mississippi Subject Area Testing Program system. The districts chosen were all secondary coastal schools. There was a significant difference, t(102)=2.169,p=.032, between the stress level of female teachers and the stress levels of male teachers. This significance is due to the limited number of male teachers who responded to the survey. Of the teachers who responded to the survey, 25% (N=104) were males. Thus, the 75% female respondents posed significance difference in gender and its affects to the stress levels of teachers as it relates to high-stakes testing in the stress levels of teachers. Furthermore, the there was a significant difference, F(2,101)=5.623, p=.005, in the stress levels of teachers based the school’s performance level as it relates to high-stakes testing. The performance level of school does significantly affect the stress level of teachers as it relates to high-stakes testing. Schools with a high-performing rating had 45.2% of the teacher respondents. There were no respondents from schools that had a rating that was below successful.

Download

Share

COinS