JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL HEADS’ STRESSORS AND COPING MECHANISMS
DURING THE PANDEMIC: BASIS FOR A WELLNESS PROGRAM
A Concept Paper Presented to
College of Graduate Studies and Teacher Education Research
In Partial Fulfillment of the Subject
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHOD (ED 703)
ALTHEA FAYE M. TORRES
G202001339
Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Management
April 2021
(Term 2, A.Y. 2020-2021)
Junior High School Heads’ Stressors and Coping Mechanisms during the Pandemic: Basis
for a Wellness Program
Background and Rationale of the Study
For decades and centuries now, teaching has been regarded as the noblest profession. Much
respect is given to teachers for their day-to-day hard work and diligence to attend to the needs of
every learner. From religiously creating daily lesson plans and instructional materials up to the
artistic delivery of instruction and assessment, multiple critical decisions ought to be made by these
professionals. Though oftentimes overlooked, the burden of their responsibilities leads to increased
stress levels. According to Lagos and Magallanes (2020), Filipino teachers’ stress levels are high
because despite the heavy workloads that they need to accomplish, their efforts remain
unremunerated given the fact that most of them are underpaid and have little to no benefits and
allowances. This has been echoed by Alson (2019) in his study which results prove that Filipino
educators’ stress can be traced to their lack of financial security from their jobs. Moreover, the
results of the said study resonate that teachers’ stress compound when their role as teachers and
parents intertwine. Indeed, stress in the teaching profession is inevitable, and much more stress is
expected to be experienced by those who shepherd these teachers - the school heads.
Leadership is one of the most eyed positions in any institution. As it is often associated
with power or authority, most professionals dream of holding such offices. However, what is left
out from the real-world scenario is the amount of stress and anxiety that leaders deal with in order
to provide quality service to their respective organizations. In fact, Mahfouz (2018) asserted that
stress is a constant companion to those who hold administrative positions. As they are expected to
balance their roles as leaders and followers of the bureaucracy, they were pressured to pretend not
to be stressed at all. A study conducted by Kaufman (2019) shows that school heads were in denial
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of the stress they unconsciously deal with as leaders. It is also noteworthy that those who are new
in leadership positions in education settings were reported to have higher levels of stress compared
to their counterparts (Josep et al., 2020).
Many research studies have been conducted to identify the common stressors of school
heads. Ngari et al. (2011) identified the school heads’ heavy workload and their encompassing
responsibilities as the primary cause of stress. This has been reiterated by Rabago-Mingoa (2017)
who discovered that the common sources of stress for teachers include having too much
paperwork, oversized classes, and being too busy as they need to balance their roles as
professionals, as parents, and as community members. But then, occupational stress cannot be
attributed to various commitments and multiple demands of the school heads’ complex
environment. In a study conducted by Wadesango and Gudyanga in 2015, school heads
surprisingly reported that the main cause of their increased stress level is the presence of
irresponsible teachers and staff in their supervised schools. This has been reaffirmed by Anyanwu
et al. (2015) in the findings of their research when most participants claimed that their stress would
be lessened if only reliable personnel are present and hired in their workplace. Still, the more
stressed teachers become, the more they find ways to cope with such challenges (Lagos &
Magallanes, 2020).
Poirel and Yvon (2014) in their study in Quebec affirmed that school heads cope with their
stressors by focusing either on the problem or on their emotions. Problem-focused coping is done
by confronting their stressors and looking for solutions to the problems they are presented with.
On the other hand, emotion-focused coping is manifested by expressing emotions as well as being
honest to another in order to call for unity and consolidated effort. Another research that provides
a wealth of information regarding the most prevalent coping mechanism among school heads is
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that of Wong, Tome, and Wong (2019) which asserted that solving problems is the most practiced
and perceived to be the most effective way of combatting stress. This is followed by seeking social
support, as complex as communicating with a psychosocial counselor to as simple as interacting
with subordinates and staff. Consequently, avoidance has been the least practiced and least
preferred coping mechanism of school heads. Aside from the ones mentioned, watching television,
doing deep breathing and relaxation exercises, exercising regularly, sleeping adequately, and doing
regular and periodic self-reflection pauses were claimed effective means to cope with stress
(Rabago-Mingoa, 2017, Mahfouz, 2018, & Alson, 2019). All of these means of managing stress
have been proven beneficial and unfeigned until the onset of the CoVID-19 pandemic.
The CoVID-19 pandemic has changed many facets of human lives. From the way people
interact up to the way people purchase goods, it is evident how nearly impossible it is to go back
to the way things used to be. During the lockdown in Luzon in 2020, a survey was administered
online to identify the psychological impact of the pandemic on Filipinos (Tee et al., 2020). Its
findings support the claim that more Filipinos are suffering from depression and anxiety with
females being more affected than males. Interestingly, the study also revealed that those who
attained lower educational levels, who are younger, and who live alone were found out to suffer
from high levels of stress and anxiety. It has been found out also that those who obey the maximum
health protocols such as frequent handwashing and consistent wearing of face masks have lower
levels of stress. Moreover, higher levels of stress were exhibited by workers who need to go outside
of their homes to work compared to those whose companies have established a work-from-home
setup.
Not even education was an exception to these abrupt and disruptive changes. De Guzman
et al. (2020) unearthed that during the community quarantine in the Philippines, financial
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instability, relationship issues among family members and girlfriends/boyfriends, and the lack of
support and clear direction from the government were the most common stressors among college
students. In the present remote learning setup, learners’ and teachers’ stress have been highlighted
in various research studies. However, little to no attention has been paid to the stressors of school
heads in the Philippine context and this passivity could be detrimental to the well-being of school
heads. An article published in Washington by Seaman (2020) revealed that 42% of school heads
displayed a desire to leave the profession. Empirical evidence likewise shows how school heads
are suffering from stress, fatigue, and anxiety due to the rapid transition from face-to-face
education to online learning. Thus, exploring how Filipino school heads deal with such changes
should be deemed proper and prim.
Research Questions
The study aims to identify the stressors and coping mechanisms of school heads during the
CoVID-19 pandemic. It also intends to explore how the system can aid in addressing these stressors
and what policies should be rethought. Specifically, it desires to answer the following research
questions:
1. What are the stressors of school heads during the pandemic?
2. How do school heads cope with the said stressors?
3. What wellness program can be crafted to aid junior high school heads in addressing these
stressors and in formulating effective coping mechanisms?
Theoretical Framework
With the desire to unravel the participants’ stressors and coping mechanisms, this study is
anchored to the Transactional Theory of Stress and Response by Lazarus (1966) and Lazarus and
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Folkman (1984). The theory asserts that stress is a product of a transaction between a person and
his/her complex environment. It also emphasizes that there is a direct relationship between how a
person perceives the stressor and how he/she copes with it.
Since the study operates on the assumption that junior high school heads are not only career
people but also family members, the previously mentioned theory is the fit framework to attain the
objectives of the study. Moreover, after identifying the participants’ stressors, the study also
intends to determine their means of coping. This theory provides a clear direction as to how the
research will be carried out since the researcher’s focus is two-pronged – identifying the junior
high school heads’ stressors and coping mechanisms and creating a wellness program based on the
findings.
Method
Research Design
The study will employ a narrative research design as it will focus on the individual
experiences and testimonies of the participants. Since the study intends to identify the participants’
personal stories regarding the subject being explored, utilizing the narrative research design is
deemed to be the best option to achieve this paper’s objectives. Using the narrative research design
will further allow the researcher to collaborate with the participants as this research design permits
her to openly communicate with the participants and negotiate certain elements of the study
(Creswell, 2012). Moreover, the aforementioned research design is the most appropriate since the
context or place where the participants were exposed is also known to the researcher, thus,
interpretation of the data will be more precise and contextualized.
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Participants and Research Site
The researcher has chosen the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan as the locale of her
study not only because of its convenience to her but also because of her exposure to the struggles
of school heads in the said community during the pandemic. The sampling technique that will be
used in this study is non-probability purposive. As claimed by Creswell (2005), purposive
sampling allows the researcher to choose the study’s participants because they have the power to
assist the researcher for theory generation or for concept explanation.
Moreover, ten (10) participants who have been school heads since 2015 in the City Schools
Division of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan will be requested to participate in the study so that there
will be a clear distinction between their stressors and coping mechanisms before the pandemic and
during the CoVID-19 pandemic. To be more specific, public high school heads who are leading
junior high schools only shall be included in the roster of participants for the study. Those school
heads who shepherd integrated high schools, that is schools with both junior high school and senior
high school, will not be included in the list of possible participants.
Procedure
After securing the permit to conduct the research from respective offices, the researcher
shall communicate with the chosen participants and pertinent documents shall be presented to
prove the authenticity of the study. The purpose of the study as well as the consent form will be
explained then to the participants, and their signatures will be secured. They will be informed of
their rights during the study and what is expected of them. These necessary steps will be done
through Google Meet, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams, according to the preference and availability of
the participants.
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Data Collection
Interview via an open-ended questionnaire and focus-group discussions (FGD) are the
data-gathering techniques of the study. After being provided with the profile of the participants by
the accomplishment of a Google form, an open-ended questionnaire will be sent to the participants’
email. This instrument targets to identify their stressors and coping mechanisms during the
CoVID-19 pandemic. The stressors that can be enumerated might include domestic responsibilities
and professional duties, while the coping mechanisms might include their means to deal with the
said stressors. The participants will be given one week to respond and submit the Google form.
After gathering and collating all the respondents, the researcher will identify the common
themes from the responses. Then, another schedule for the FGD will be set with the participants.
This shall be based on their availability and the platform shall be based on their uniform preference.
Utilizing FGD as a data-gathering technique will allow the researcher to gain an in-depth
understanding of the participants’ personal experiences and will also encourage the participants to
interact with their colleagues who might have similar experiences concerning their stressors and
coping mechanisms. This will be recorded through the default recording system of the online
platform that will be used while the researcher is also taking field notes, including the gestures,
intonation, and non-verbal cues of the participants. The recorded interview will be transcribed and
will be sent to the participants’ email for checking. Descriptive coding will be done and
conclusions will be drawn in order to identify relevant themes.
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