Demographic Differences in the Sources of Stress among Academic Staff of Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu, Enugu State

Abstract

This study investigated demographic differences in the sources of stress among academic staff of Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu, Enugu State. Three research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study employed survey research design. The entire population of 203 academic staff of Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu, Enugu State participated in the study. A self-developed structured questionnaire entitled Sources of Stress Questionnaire (SSQ) (r=0.87) was used as an instrument for data collection. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer all the research questions while t-test and ANOVA statistics were used to test hypotheses. The study found that interpersonal relationship (2.98 1.13), research (2.93 1.10.), teaching (2.91 1.05.) and career development (2.82 1.02.) are the sources of stress but interpersonal relationship with higher mean is the highest source of stress among academic staff of Federal College of Education Aha-Amufu, Enugu State. Differences exist in the sources of stress and these differences in the sources of stress were significant based on gender (P-value <0.05) and academic rank (P-value <0.05). The implication is that if this trend continuous, there is a tendency that it might cause low productivity and lack of adequate commitment in job performance, hence decline academic standard. The study therefore, recommended among others that Management of College of Education should create stable working conditions to encourage staff through prompt payment of salaries and adequate remuneration and programme on stress management through workshops, seminars and conferences to academic staff is advocated.