Spiritual Practices as a Means of Ameliorating Stress in Order to Reduce Teacher Attrition

• In Event: Roundtable Session 110
  In Roundtable Session: Ministry and Spirituality in Christian Education

Abstract

Teacher attrition has been serious problem in maintaining quality education in the US. Prevailing professional challenges and stress associated with teaching were found to be the major reasons of teacher attrition. Although the research produced extensive documentation on teachers’ stress and burn out, there has been little attention paid to their stress coping strategies. Many teachers report to manage their professional stress through spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, and time alone in nature. This paper documents various spiritual practices as a means of stress coping employed by teachers with religious beliefs. The findings in the paper suggest implications for teacher preparation, professional development, and future research.

Authors

• Shin Ji Kang, James Madison University

• James Martin McCabe Hartwick, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater