Student Teachers’ Stress and
Social Problem Solving Skills
Presented by :
Cameron Montgomery
Faculté Saint-Jean, University of
Alberta
Plan
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Introduction
Theoretical model
Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
General Conclusion
Limits
Future Research Avenues
Introduction
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50% “very stressed” at work.
More than 2/3 experience health problems.
New teacher training programs.
Introduction
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A high level of stress :
- psychological distress
- shortcomings in social problem
solving skills (a.k.a. “coping”)
- professional exhaustion
- suicide amongst teachers.
Introduction
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At Laval University :
-females (primary education)
-4 year undergraduate program
-student teaching (4 in all).
Introduction
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Psychological stress and social problem
solving skills among interns is prominent.
This thesis aimed at finding future research
avenues.
Introduction (Our Definition of Stress)
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Stress stems from Lazarus (1966).
Three main sources :
– 1) Personality Mediators (time pressure, driven behaviour,
attitude posture, relaxation potential, role definition).
– 2) Environment (vocational satisfaction, domestic
satisfaction, health posture).
– 3) Emotional Response (hostility, anxiety, depression).
Introduction (Definition of Stress)
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Lazarus and Folkman (1984) :
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Primary appraisal: events may be seen as
more or less stressful.
Depending on the individual and the
situation, a problematic social event may be
seen unharmful, while for others it may
seen as being very stressful.
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Introduction (Definition of Stress)
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Secondary appraisal (cognitive appraisal):
appraisal of personal resources and
environmental resources to cope with loss,
threat, and challenges.
Introduction (Definition of Stress)
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The model predicts that when faced with a
social problem, an individual will put into
place strategies that are both cognitive and
adaptive behaviours that the author qualifies
as “coping.”
Introduction (Definition of Social
Problem Solving Skills = spss)
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Social problem solving skills are a
conscious and rational activity being a part
of “coping” and requiring certain efforts and
objectives.
Introduction (Definition of spss)
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Two specific behaviours: social problem
solving skills and problem orientation.
Conceptual Model
Environment
INTRANTS
Student
Supervisors CFP, EA)
Pupils
Stress
Age
Sex
Professional experience
Previous academic results
Personality
Personal way of handling
social problem solving
skills
PROCESS
School culture
EXTRANTS
Field of study
Practical training
Group dimensions
Student
Supervisors (CFP, EA)
Pupils
---------------------------Method of social problem
solving skills
Stress
Academic results
Subject matter
Environment
Figure 1 : Conceptual model of stress and social problem solving skills among elementary and
secondary teaching student teachers. (Cameron Montgomery and Nérée Bujold, June, 1999).
Article 1 (Literature Review)
– Research questions
– Results
– Conclusion.
Article 1 (Research questions)
Q1: What is the current state of knowledge on
stress in student teaching ?
Q2: What is the current state of knowledge on
social problem solving skills in student
teaching?
Q3: What is the current state of knowledge on the
link between stress and social problem solving
skills in student teaching?
Results : Primary appraisal of stress
(appraisal of the event)
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New programs in the field of teacher
training.
Heterogeneity.
Training period.
Article 1, Results : Primary appraisal
of stress (appraisal of the event)
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Other stressful elements :
-the teacher
-the school.
-the student.
Article 1, Results :
Secondary
appraisal of stress (appraisal of personal and
environmental resources)
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The sources of stress have changed (i.e. Fuller,
1969).
Article 1, Results :
Secondary
appraisal of stress (appraisal of personal and
environmental resources)
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Stressful elements :
-school,
-the ability for relationships,
-the personal and professional requirements.
Article 1, Results (Coping
strategies)
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Interns use confrontational strategies
whenever they are faced with stress related to
the students.
Disciplinary strategies :
-behavioural modification,
-removing student from class,
-place blame on the student,
-discuss the problem at hand.
Article 1, Results (spss in connection
with stress)
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Overly stressed individuals need:
-more time needed to complete tasks
-to see final results earlier .
Stressed individuals :
-think in negative terms,
-lack confidence in themselves,
-tend to sidestep the problems,
-have a tendency of avoiding their social
problems.
Article 1, Conclusion
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A review of the literature :
-an absence of longitudinal studies on the
two themes in question.
Article 2
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Research Questions
Methods
Results
Conclusion
Article 2, Research questions
– Q1: What are the psychometric characteristics
of the stress questionnaire among student
teachers ?
– Q2:
What
are
the
psychometric
characteristics of the social problem solving
skills’ questionnaire among student teachers ?
Article 2, Methods
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Subjects :
-number (458)
-sex (females)
-level (primary)
-age (19-25).
Article 2, Methods
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Tools :
1. Stress = DSP
2. Social Problem Solving Skills =
SPSS
3. Underlying anxiety (MMPI)
Article 2, Results
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DSP (stress), 3 factors :
1. Personal Mediators (time & future)
2. Emotional Response
3. Environmental Stress
Article 2, Results
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SPSS = 2 factors :
1. Social Problem Solving Skills
2. Problem Orientation.
Article 2, Results
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Correlation between stress and social problem
solving skills :
- Social Problem Solving Skills and Problem
Orientation ( r = .432 ).
- Significant and positive linear relations between
the 3 dimensions of stress taken 2 by 2: Personality
Mediators and Environmental Stress ( r =.458 ) ;
Environmental Stress and Emotional Response
( r =.550 ) ; Personality Mediators and Emotional
Response ( r =.625 ).
Article 2, Results
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Each of the 2 dimensions in the questionnaires of
s.p.s.s. has a negative linear relation with each of
the three dimensions in the questionnaire related
to stress.
A high level of stress is associated with a low level
of social problem solving skills whereas a low
level of stress is associated with a high level in
social problem solving skills.
Article 2, Conclusion
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We have highlighted the fact that we
possess instruments that are sufficiently
reliable and valid to pursue our research.
The multidimensional stress instrument
translated in French and the twodimensional French questionnaire on s.p.s.s.
appears to be promising for future studies in
a student teacher training population.
Article 3
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Research questions
Methods
Results
Discussion
Article 3, Research Questions
– Q1: What is the relationship between Student
Teaching and the level of Stress in student
teachers?
– Q2: What is the relationship between Student
Teaching and Social Problem Solving Skills in
student teachers?
– Q3: To what extent are changes in Social
Problem Solving Skills related to changes in
Stress levels in student teachers?
Methods (subjects)
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N=117 in 1999 and in 2000.
93 % of women and no foreign students
were part of the two groups.
Majority of these students were between 19
& 25 years of age.
Methods (instruments)
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Stress = Derogatis questionnaire (DSP®,
1987).
Social Problem Solving Skills = Dugas,
Freeston and Ladouceur questionnaire
(1996).
Results
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Regarding the first research question
concerning the relationship between Student
Teaching and the level of Stress in student
teachers, we compared means of the pre-test
with those of the post-test.
No significant results were found at the
level (p <.005).
Article 3, Results
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Regarding the second research question
concerning the relationship between Student
Teaching and Social Problem Solving
Skills, we compared means of the pre-test
with those of the post-test.
No significant results were found (p <.005).
Article 3, Results
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Our last research question attempted to measure to
what extent changes in social problem solving
skills are associated with changes in stress level.
The correlation between the changes in social
problem solving skills and the changes in the level
of stress clearly indicate that the correlation
between these two changes is significant and
negative (-.361, p <.003).
Article 3, Results
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Secondly, in order to better understand the
relationship between stress and social
problem solving skills, we considered the
correlation between the changes in the all of
the questionnaires’ dimensions and subscales (Emotional Response, Problem
Orientation etc).
Article 3, Results
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There is only one significant correlation (p
<.001) between Problem Orientation
and Emotional Response.
Article 3, Results
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In terms of the sub-scales, there are 5
significant correlations (p <.001):
First : Relaxation Potential (leaving work
behind) and Generating Alternative
Solutions of the SPSS questionnaire.
Second : Anxiety of the DSP questionnaire
and Cognition.
Article 3, Results
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Third : Depression in the DSP®
questionnaire and Cognition of the SPSS
questionnaire.
Fourth : Anxiety in the DSP® questionnaire
and Emotion of the SPSS questionnaire
Fifth : Depression in the DSP®
questionnaire and Emotion of the SPSS
questionnaire.
Article 3, Discussion
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Neither the level of stress nor social problem
solving skills increased significantly over the
course of student teaching.
The results suggest that more student teachers
improved their social problem solving skills over
the course of student teaching, less their stress
levels increased.
Article 3, Discussion
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Our correlations allow us to believe that certain
training activities related to social problem
solving, such as a more proactive approach in
dealing with problems, developing alternative
solutions, a better comprehension of the cognitive
and emotional aspects inherent in social problems
can prove to be useful in reducing stress level in
primary student teachers.
Article 3, Discussion
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More one instructs student teachers to
manage their emotional stress, develop
alternative solutions, determine the origin of
their problems, and freely express their
emotions, the more they will be able to
overcome their depression and anxieties
further reducing their stress in relation to
these aspects during student teaching.
Article 3, Discussion
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In other words, in teaching student teachers
different forms of social problem solving skills
“focusing on the problem,” one can help to control
certain stressful situations.
Students need to learn to be more responsible and
avoid repression.
It would be interesting to examine a future model
to better understand these interactions.
General Conclusion
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The literature review in the first theoretical article
enabled us to orientate our research.
Longitudinal studies on the themes of stress and
social problem solving skills need to be done.
This should include a quantitative approach as
well as a qualitative approach which could provide
valuable information for teacher trainers and for
the student teachers
General Conclusion
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From now on we dispose of valid
instruments that are reliable for future
research.
General Conclusion
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We determined that neither stress nor social
problem solving skills increase in any
significant manner over the course of
student teaching.
The more student teachers improve social
problem solving skills the less their stress
increases.
General Conclusion
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If some student teachers increased their
social problem solving skills and the
general average did not increase, this means
that some student teachers became less
competent.
Research Limits
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Psychological nature.
Lack of research on the relationship between
stress and social problem solving skills in the field
of teacher training
No research grant :
-high number of questions
-a refusal to participate in post-test
-certain sub-scales have a weak internal
consistency (*** confirmation=15 items)
-no control group.
Research Avenues
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A control group and an experimental group.
Follow the research with a student
population and a professional (adult)
population (verify sub-scales).
Combine 2 different scientific approaches.
A longitudinal study.