Occupational Stress and Work Performance Among Elementary School Educators: Examining the Relationship Between Stress and Performance in Subic, Zambales
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.07.09.21Keywords:
Classroom challenges, Elementary school educators, Intervention plan, Occupational stress, Role overload, Work performanceAbstract
Occupational stress remains a significant concern in the teaching profession as educators continue to manage increasing instructional responsibilities, administrative demands, classroom challenges, and diverse learner needs. This study determined the perceived impact of occupational stress on the work performance of elementary school educators in Subic, Zambales, as a basis for the development of an intervention plan. Specifically, it examined the level of occupational stress in terms of role overload, administrative stress, and classroom challenges, and assessed work performance in terms of task performance and contextual performance. The study employed a descriptive-quantitative research design involving 138 elementary school educators from Cluster 1 of the Subic District, Zambales. Data were gathered using a modified adopted and researcher-made survey questionnaire and were analyzed through appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The findings revealed that the respondents demonstrated a high level of work performance despite experiencing occupational stress in their teaching environment. Among the identified sources of stress, classroom challenges emerged as the most prominent concern, followed by role overload and administrative demands. Furthermore, the results showed that occupational stress had a significant positive relationship with both task performance and contextual performance, suggesting that teachers who carry greater professional responsibilities may also experience higher levels of stress while maintaining their commitment to effective work performance. Based on the findings, a Teacher Support and Stress Management Enhancement Plan was proposed to address classroom-related concerns, workload pressures, administrative demands, and teacher well-being while sustaining the professional effectiveness of elementary school educators.
Downloads
References
Biddle, B. J. (1986). Recent developments in role theory. Annual Review of Sociology, 12, 67–92. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.so.12.080186.000435
Bond, M., Khosravi, H., De Laat, M., Bergdahl, N., Negrea, V., Oxley, E., Phuong, P., & Siemens, G. (2024). A meta systematic re-view of artificial intelligence in higher education: A call for increased ethics, col-laboration, and rigour. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21, Article 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00436-z
Braun, S. S., Kaihoi, C. A., McDaniel, H. L., & Bradshaw, C. P. (2022). Profiles of teach-ers’ occupational health: Associations with classroom management practices, gender, and race. Teaching and Teacher Education, 118, 103819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103819
Bubb, S., & Earley, P. (2023). Workload, work intensification and time poverty for teachers and school leaders: A systematic research synthesis. Educational Review, 75(4), 661–680. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2023.2196607
Burić, I., & Kim, L. E. (2022). Teacher self-efficacy, instructional quality, and student motivational outcomes: Examining the role of teacher stress and emotions. Teaching and Teacher Education, 112, 103645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103645
Carroll, A., Forrest, K., Sanders-O’Connor, E., Flynn, L., Bower, J. M., Fynes-Clinton, S., York, A., & Ziaei, M. (2022). Teacher stress and burnout in Australia: Examin-ing the role of intrapersonal and envi-ronmental factors. Social Psychology of Education, 25, 441–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-022-09686-7
Collie, R. J., & Mansfield, C. F. (2022). Teacher and school stress profiles: A multilevel examination and associations with work-related outcomes. Teaching and Teacher Education, 116, 103759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103759
Collie, R. J., Granziera, H., & Martin, A. J. (2022). Teachers’ workplace well-being: A systematic review of the role of job demands, resources, and personal fac-tors. Educational Psychology Review, 34, 593–626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09612-7
Espiritu, R. D. (2021). Awareness and compe-tency of pre-service teachers on the Phil-ippine Professional Standards for Teach-ers (PPST): A basis for training program. JournalNX, 7(11), 83–105.
Koopmans, L., Bernaards, C. M., Hildebrandt, V. H., Schaufeli, W. B., de Vet, H. C. W., & van der Beek, A. J. (2011). Conceptual frame-works of individual work performance: A systematic review. Journal of Occupa-tional and Environmental Medicine, 53(8), 856–866. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e318226a763
Kotherja, O., & Hamzallari, B. (2022). The in-fluence of socio-demographic variables on teachers’ job performance. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 17(7). https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v17i7.7645
König, J., Blömeke, S., Jentsch, A., Schlesinger, L., Musekamp, F., & Kaiser, G. (2022). The links between pedagogical knowledge and instructional quality: An empirical study of teachers’ professional compe-tence. Teaching and Teacher Education, 109, 103541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103541
Lonzon, M. D., & Espiritu, R. D. (2024). Phe-nomenological behavioural problems manifested by high school students en-rolled in Subic National High School. In-ternational Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 5(8), 3411–3421. https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.05.08.34
Madigan, D. J., & Kim, L. E. (2022). Towards an understanding of teacher attrition: A me-ta-analysis of burnout, job satisfaction, and teachers’ intentions to quit. Teaching and Teacher Education, 105, 103425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103425
Merton, R. K. (1957). Social theory and social structure. Free Press.
Metrailer, G. M., & Clark, K. N. (2022). Return-ing to school: Teachers’ occupational and COVID-19-related stress and their percep-tions of school climate. School Mental Health, 14, 1048–1060. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-022-00428-2
Orlanda-Ventayen, C., & Ventayen, R. J. (2022). Stress and depression in the workplace of educators in the Philippines. Internation-al Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, 12(4), 325–335. https://doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v12i4.43226
Pressley, T. (2021). Factors contributing to teacher burnout during COVID-19. Edu-cational Research and Development Jour-nal, 24(1), 1–15.
Pulido, C. F. D., & Espiritu, R. D. (2026). Im-plementation of multimedia presenta-tions in enhancing the phonetic and speaking abilities of kindergarten pupils. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 7(1).
Skaalvik, E. M., & Skaalvik, S. (2022). Teacher stress and teacher self-efficacy as predic-tors of engagement, emotional exhaus-tion, and motivation to leave the teaching profession. Teaching and Teacher Educa-tion, 109, 103570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103570
Stang-Rabrig, J., Brüggemann, T., Lorenz, R., & McElvany, N. (2022). Teachers’ occupa-tional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of resources and de-mands. Teaching and Teacher Education, 117, 103803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103803
Tsubono, K., & Ogawa, M. (2022). The analysis of main stressors among high-stress pri-mary school teachers by job positions: A nationwide survey in Japan. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 990141. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.990141
Tsubono, K., Mitoku, S., & Ogawa, M. (2023). Public school teachers’ occupational stress across different school types: A na-tionwide survey during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1287893. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1287893
Yan, Z., Chiu, M. M., & Cheng, E. C. K. (2022). Predicting teachers’ formative assess-ment practices: Teacher personal and contextual factors. Teaching and Teacher Education, 114, 103718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.10371
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Novie Ann R. Auditor, Myra Liza O. Vizcarra

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access).














