The Moderating Effect of Teacher Experience on Secondary Traumatic Stress and Teacher Self-Efficacy Among Rural Public School Teachers

Millions of teachers have exited the teaching profession as of 2020 and over 50% are likely to leave the profession during the next five years. High emotional stress is most often cited as the primary reason for the loss of teachers. There is also an increasing number of students entering school who having experienced various forms of trauma, such as abuse, death, violence, and neglect. In rural areas, poverty is a concern. These students often display trauma behaviors because of limited mental health resources. As rural public school teachers learn about student trauma, these teachers are at risk of secondary traumatic stress. Secondary traumatic stress is a maladaptive emotional response upon hearing about the trauma of another. In rural districts, high poverty rates, a lack of support, a lack of resources, and the multiple roles the teacher fulfills increase the likelihood a teacher can exhibit secondary traumatic stress symptomology, thus impacting teacher self-efficacy. Further, many rural teachers lack the knowledge and skills to recognize the symptoms of secondary traumatic stress. Secondary traumatic stress influences daily interactions between teachers and students, which can hinder teacher self-efficacy. However, one facet to consider is the moderating effect of teacher experience between the two variables. This correlational study investigated the question: Does teacher experience moderate the relationship between secondary traumatic stress and teacher self-efficacy among rural public school teachers? This study considered teacher experience, secondary traumatic stress, teacher secondary traumatic stress, teacher self-efficacy, and rural public school teachers.