Effects of Work-Related Stress on Teachers? Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Kikuyu Sub County, Kenya

The main aim of the study was to establish the effects of work-related stress on teachers performance in public secondary schools in Kenya. To capture the required information, the study was guided by four specific objectives in determining the effects of management related stress, family related stress, policies related stress and economic related stress on teachers performance in public secondary schools in Kikuyu Sub County, Kenya. Teaching is the vital profession through which other professions are shaped and nurtured. To attain quality education for sustainable development through teachers excellent performance, effective work-related stress management strategies must be put in place in schools. This explains the widespread concern over the negative effects and rising costs of work-related stress such as costly stress related diseases, chronic job absenteeism, poor performance and high teacher turnover. The study reviewed several theories related to work stress as possible avenues towards a framework of understanding what causes teachers work-related stress. The study also conducted an empirical literature review in order to establish a link with similar past studies. Purposive sampling technique was used in sampling a target population of 190 teachers while Slovins sample size formula helped select a sample size of 66 respondents from the targeted schools. The researcher administered questionnaires to the respondents to collect primary data while secondary data was collected through documents review. Data analysis was done using both descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 while the main methods of data presentation were frequency distribution tables, pie charts and bar graphs. The study findings indicate that work-related stress have a significant negative relationship and effects on teachers performance in public secondary schools with both correlation and multiple regression analysis results supporting these findings. The Pearson correlation computation between all the independent variables and the dependent variable were highly significant with, management related stress at (r = -0.615, p = 0.000, = 0.05), family-related stress at (r = -0.478, p = 0.000, = 0.05), policies related stress at (r = -0.667, p = 0.000, = 0.05) and economic related stress at as (r =- 0.634, p = 0.000, = 0.05). Multiple linear regression models showed that the work-related stress factors in the study explain change in teachers performance by up to 53.3 %. The study therefore recommends that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Teachers Service Commission develop a policy on effective work-related stress management in public secondary schools to ensure teachers high performance. There is the need to provide conducive work environment and support to teachers to control individual work stress at their station as well as conducting regular assessment of work stress levels for preventive measures. Similar studies should however be done on the other public secondary schools in other counties across the country. Further research on the effects of globalization and the performance appraisal systems on teachers performance in public secondary schools are needed since the study findings indicate that they have contradictory standards beyond teachers abilities, resources and expectations causing work overload and negative work-related stress.