A Qualitative Exploration of Influences on Middle School Educators’ Stress, Coping, and Teacher-Student Relationships

• In Event: Innovative Leadership Practices in School Climate, Culture, and Community

Abstract

Positive teacher-student relationships (TSRs) can enhance school climate and protect against teacher stress and burnout, yet there has been little research on the combination of these factors. This investigation of TSRs analyzed qualitative data from eighteen focus-group interviews of middle-school educators in a southeastern state. Findings indicated that teachers’ emotional and physical state, job demands, and support from school staff affected their ability to form positive TSRs. Additionally, teachers reported that their mindsets (e.g., attitudes towards teaching and the awareness that they cannot always form an emotional connection to every student) can impact their experience of stress and burnout. Implications for research and teacher training are discussed.

Authors

• Stephanie Wilkins, Georgia State University

• Sneha Pimpalkhute, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY

• James Pooley, Georgia State University

• Joel Meyers, Georgia State University

• Kris Varjas, Georgia State University

• Catherine Perkins, Georgia State University