Teacher Stress: What It Is,Why It's Important,How It Can be Alleviated

Teacher stress can be conceptualized as an imbalance between risk and protective factors. Stress emanates from risk factors at the personal, interpersonal, and organizational levels. When risk factors exceed protective factors, teacher ability to cope with adversity is inhibited, likely resulting in stress and pernicious consequences. In this paper we draw on empirical evidence as well as our own professional efforts at reducing stress among novice teachers to explain the phenomenon and recommend interventions.     

Predicting Middle School Profiles of Algebra Performance Using Fraction Knowledge

Fraction knowledge and algebraic skill are closely linked. Algebra is a gatekeeper for advanced courses (Booth & Newton, 2012; Brown & Quinn, 2007). This study uses the person-centered approach of latent profile analysis to examine individual differences in middle schoolers’ (N = 350) algebra performance at the end of the year (EOY). The relative importance of a range of fraction skills is considered in predicting the likelihood of displaying a particular profile of EOY algebra knowledge, measured by feature knowledge, equation encoding, equation solving, and word-problem skills. Notably, fraction number line estimation did not predict algebra performance on any of the four measures. Fraction arithmetic at the beginning of the year is most predictive of displaying the highest performing EOY algebra profile.     

The Effects of Job Benefits and Job Experience on Teacher Ratings of the Job of School Council Member

This article reports the results of an empirical study examining whether the benefits of school council service function as incentives for teachers to seek the position. Public school teachers (N = 132) read a recruitment message depicting the financial awards and informal rewards accruing to council members and indicated the likelihood that they would seek the position. Analysis of variance revealed that categories of job benefits (pecuniary, nonpecuniary) interacted with teacher job experience (relatively inexperienced, experienced) to influence teacher ratings of the recruitment message. Teachers with 10 years or fewer than 10 years teaching experience reacted more positively to recruitment messages emphasizing pecuniary job benefits than did teachers with more than ten years teaching experience. The results have implications for policies designed to restructure the educational workplace.