Relationship of Stress Levels and Coping Mechanisms to the Performance of the Selected Junior High School Mathematics Teachers in the Third Congressional District of Quezon, Philippines

Source abstract

Teaching is recognized as a highly demanding profession involving multifaceted responsibilities beyond instruction, making it inherently stressful. Kyriacou (2001) defined teacher stress as the experience of unpleasant emotions such as tension, frustration, anxiety, and anger resulting from aspects of work as a teacher, which when chronic, compromises well-being and professional effectiveness. The antecedents of teacher stress are well-documented, including high job demands, workload, time pressure, and relational challenges (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2017), as well as the social and organizational conditions of schools (Collie et al., 2012). These stressors pose a systemic risk to education because teachers' social and emotional competence directly influences classroom management and classroom climate (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). While teacher stress in general is widely studied, Mathematics teachers face distinct pedagogical demands that require specialized pedagogical content knowledge to make abstract concepts accessible (Ball et al., 2008). Junior High School Mathematics teachers must manage heterogeneous learners and diverse misconceptions, yet local studies remain largely generic. Teachers respond to stress through coping. Grounded in the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, Lazarus and Folkman (1984) defined coping as constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage demands appraised as taxing. Coping is categorized into problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance coping, with Carver et al. (1989) further differentiating adaptive strategies (e.g., active coping, planning, seeking support) from less adaptive ones (e.g., denial, disengagement). Teacher performance is a multidimensional construct (Danielson, 2007). In the Philippines, it is institutionalized through the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers [PPST] (Department of Education, 2017) which defines quality across seven domains. Despite this framework, empirical evidence linking stress, coping, and PPST-aligned performance among Mathematics teachers remains scarce. Recent local studies indicate that workload and administrative tasks are primary stressors and that teachers use combined coping strategies (Escasinas, 2025; Buquia et al., 2025), while resilience is built through time management and collaboration (Elizarde, 2024). Anchored on Lazarus and Folkman (1984), Carver et al. (1989), and the PPST, this study addresses the gap by assessing the stress levels, coping mechanisms, and performance of Junior High School Mathematics Teachers in the Third Congressional District of Quezon, and analyzing their significant interrelationships to inform intervention programs for teacher well-being and instructional effectiveness.