Teacher Participation In Stress Management Through Different Theoretical Lenses: A Study Conducted In The Mahikeng Area

The purpose of the research reported in this article was to place the known facts of the topic of teacher participation in stress management in the context of management and leadership in education. The emphasis in the conceptual and theoretical framework was on showing points of connection between leadership and management on the one hand and stress on the other. The investigation focused on how theoretical points of departure impact on teachers and how teachers experience stress through participation or non-participation in school management. The theoretical investigation was followed by a quantitative investigation by using a structured questionnaire known as the ASSET tool (An Organisational Stress Screening Tool) developed by Carthwright and Cooper. The main objective of the questionnaire was to measure potential exposure to stress in respect of common workplace stressors. The instrument was used to conduct a survey amongst teachers in the Mahikeng area. It was found that although there are many examples of how aspects of the different theories can be applied in the practice of stress management, the reality is that managerial leadership still features strongly in schools and that, in many instances, transformational and distributed leadership does not provide realistic alternatives to stress management theories in schools.