STRESS AND PEDAGOGICAL PROFICIENCY OF EDUCATORS IN GOVERNMENT OWNED SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL IN RIVERS WEST SENATORIAL DISTRICT OF RIVERS STATE

The research examined occupational stress and pedagogical proficiency of educators within government owned senior secondary institutions located in Rivers West Senatorial District of Rivers State. The study adopted correlational research design. Four research questions and four hypotheses guided the study. The population constitute 1,341 public senior secondary school teachers. The sample consisted of 400 teachers that were selected through stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The study utilized a questionnaire titled; “Stress and Pedagogical Proficiency Questionnaire” (SPPQ). The instrument was divided into two sections, A and B. Section A was made up of demographic variables such as gender, marital status, work experience and position held. Section B was divided into two (2) sections: “Teachers’ Stress Questionnaire” (TSQ) and “Teachers’ Pedagogical Proficiency Questionnaire” (TPPQ). The SPPQ underwent validation procedures, and the internal consistency was confirmed via Cronbach’s Alpha, yielding reliability coefficient 0.80) for TSQ scale and 0.89 for TPPQ scale. To address the research questions inquiries and evaluate the hypotheses, Pearson Product Moment Correlation technique was applied. Analytical outcomes were subjected to significance testing at 0.5 threshold. The finding revealed an inverse correlation linking excessive professional workload, stress stemming from domestic responsibility, inadequate terms of employment, and deficient interpersonal workplace dynamics with pedagogical proficiency of Educators within government owned senior secondary institutions located in Rivers West Senatorial District of Rivers State. The study advised school administrators to actively mitigate the instructional burdens placed on their staff. Furthermore, it was recommended that the State Ministry of Education alleviate the critical situation by recruiting additional teaching personnel, thereby lowering stress and ultimately fostering enhanced educational delivery.